A Bus Licensing Controversy.
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RECENT developments indicate that a truce is likely in the pitched battle which has been carried on in the Tyneside neighbourhood for over two years between municipal and private interests in the road passenger-carrying industry. The position has already been described in various issues of The Commercia7 Motor in reports of the two important official inquiries at Newcastle and on other occasions.
Briefly, the situation for long has been that many private-bus proprietors have strongly resented the action of the Newcastle Corporation, itself a busoperating undertaking, in refusing them licences to pick up passengers in the city. This alleged attempt to obtain a monopoly for the municipal Blue Bus fleet, which has been established at a cost of something like 150,000 in the course of the past two years, has been the chief bone of contention in local road-transport circles, and private enterprise has made many strenuous efforts to obtain what it regarded as its rights.
In view of the persistent refusal of the watch committee to grant licences, many of the owners some time ago banded themselves together, under the title of the Blaydon and District Motor Omnibus Proprietors Association, and evolved a novel means for overcoming existing obstacles. By co-operative effort they obtained on lease an admirably situated site near the Central Railway Station, in the centre of the city, and there established a motorbus station Eaett owner pays rental in pro portion to the number of buses using the stand, and the idea has enabled private owners to hold their own against the municipality.
In addition, the Northern General Transport Co., Ltd., and other undertakings have for long held established and recognized stands at different parts of the city, but there are numerous smaller proprietors who have been continuously unable to secure licences, and they have in consequence been obliged to run under exceptional difficulties and restrictions. In the past they have been compelled to make return journeys out of Newcastle with their vehicles empty, except in the cases where return tickets were issued ; or else they have taken up passengers and incurred the risk of proceedings being taken against them.
A group of owners who adopted the latter course a few days ago found themselves called upon to answer summonses of having plied for hire without licences, mid at the Newcastle Police Court, where they were fined sums ranging from 1.0s. to 20s., a proposal was put forward by the Corporation, through its Watch Committee, as a means towards overcoming this continuous warfare.
The proposal of the Watch Committee is to grant licences to these owners on condition that they use a standin Railway Street and enter and leave Newcastle via the Reclheug,h Bridge. This suggested compromise still leaves the affected owners under a big handicap, as the Railway Street stand is a good distance from the centre of the city, and in consequence there will not be any very large volume of business in the way of outward fares, but, on the other hand, it will give them a legal standing and prevent repetition of the conditions which prevail at the present time. The • municipal services will still, of course, have the opportunity of securing the better business by reason of their centrally situated termini, which are adjacent to that of the Blaydon and District Owners organization.
It is gathered that the Watch Committee's chief objection to granting licences in the past was the desire of many owners to run over the High Level Bridge to the Central Railway Station, and thereby add to the acute congestion already existing. The proposal, if proceeded with, will, it is believed, meet with the approval of the full, Council.