TROLLEYBUSES AS STAGE CARRIAGES
Page 62
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QN Tuesday, Lord Hewart and Justices Avory and Humphreys, sitting as a King's Bench Divisional Court, decided that the Ilkeston justices were right in fining Mr. T. Turton, conductor of one of the Nottingham and Derbyshire Traction Co.'s trolleybuses, • for allowing overcrowding on his vehicle. The prosecution alleged that the vehicle was a stage carriage and that offences were committed against Sections 14 and 15 of the Railway Passengers Duty Act, 1842.
Mr. F. W. Wallace (for Mr. Turton) said the vehicle was a 31-seater singledeck bus, which was carrying 40 passengers when it was stopped. He submitted that it was not a stage carriage, because it did not require a road service licence under the Road .Traffic Act, 1930, and there was no Act of Parliament which brought it within the category named. The question of accommodation in trolleybuses had been placed in the hands of the Minister of Transport, and the general law did not cover such vehicles.
The Court dismissed Mr. Turton's appeal, with costs. Lord Hewart said it Was obvious that the vehicle exhibited all the marks of a stage carriage, and it could not be taken out of that category simply because, for the purposes of road transport, it was excluded from the definition of roadservice vehicle.
NORTHERN GENERAL RESULTS.
nURING 1034, the total revenue of the Northern General Transport Co., Ltd., amounted to £570,312, whilst expenses totalled £409,535, thus giving a working surplus of £160,777, as compared with £149,145 in 1933. After making provision for renewals (£63,000), carrying £13,343 to reserve, providing £3,000 to establish an employees' assistance fund, paying a dividend of 10 per cent. on the ordinary shares, which accounts for £55,405, and a dividend of 6i per cent, on the preference shares (£19,500), there is a balance of 437,717 to be carried forward, which compares with £31,187 brought into the accounts.
DICTATION POLICY RESENTED.
AT a meeting of Dundee Transport Committee, last Friday, resentment was expressed at the alleged attempt by the Northern Scotland Traffic Commissioners to dictate the transport policy of the corporation. Applications by the municipality for the withdrawal of season tickets and a reduction of the single fare on certain routes have been deferred.
Mr. Henry Riches, chairman of the Commissioners, had informed the corporation that a decision had been deferred until he had received some explanation regarding certain anomalies. The letter stated that every bus B44
route in the city should come under a comprehensive review.
• Convener Scrymgeour said he did not think the Commissioners had the right to change the general policy regarding all routes, when an application was made regarding only one. •The committee agreed to forward an explanation of the anomalies.
SKYE SERVICES SOLD. SUBJECT to the consent of the
Northern to
Traffic Commis sioners, the Highland Transport Co., Ltd., a Scottish railway-associated concern, is transferring its operations in Skye to the Skye Transport Co. Stagecarriage services and excursions and tours are involved.
ABERDARE'S TRAMS GO.
ON Monday the complete substitution of -buses for trams at Aberdare was effected. For some years the urban district council has been losing about £12,000 a year on its passenger-carrying system.
The outstanding features of the new buses are referred to on page 266.
C.M.U.A. OFFICIAL SELLS EXCURSIONS.
THE Yorkshire (Woollen District) Electric Tramways, Ltd., has applied to the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners for permission to take over excursions and tours operated from Birstall and Leeds by Messrs. A. Wallis and Son, of Birstall. The head of the latter firm, who also have a large road-haulage business, is Mr. J. Wallis, chairman of the North-Eastern Division of the Commercial Motor Users Association.
• SPEEDING ALLEGED WITH GOVERNED ENGINE.
AT a meeting of Merthyr Tydfil Borough Council, members criticized the recent remarks of the Abercynon Stipendiary when fining a driver, employed by the council, £5 for driving at a speed alleged by the police to be 45 m.p.h. The magistrate criticized Merthyr and Cardiff Corporations, which are jointly responsible for the operation of the vehicle, for allowing it to be used without a speedometer and hoped that they "would have the sense of honour to pay the Erie."
The chairman of Merthyr Bus Committee declared that the vehicle's speed was limited to 33 m.p.h. by means of a governor, tampering with which, he was advised, was impracticable. The question of an appeal has been referred to the chairman and superintendent.