CONTROL OF OMNIBUSES.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 11, 14 January 1926, Page 11

CONTROL OF OMNIBUSES.

NEWMARKET OBJECTIONS. THE REGULATIONS CRITICISED. "AGAINST PUBLIC INTERESTS." Newmarket's objections to the draft regulations for the control of omnibuses were voiced at the meeting of the Newmarket Borough Council last evening. Detailed objections were submitted by the Legal and Finance Committee and adopted by the council after a brief discussion. The council considered that the regulations should be administered in the principal cities by a Traffic Control Board, of which the constitution was similar to that of the Transport Appeal Board, under the regulations, with the difference that the members be elective and not directly appointed by the Government. In support of the elective principle the council urged that it would be against the public interests and result in practically eliminating bus competition in the cities if the powers conferred upon the licensing authority, under the regulations, were administered by the authority controlling the tramways. The controlling powers over the carriage of passengers and traffic generally should be vested in an authority that would, administer them in an impartial manner. The amount of insurance required against liability was considered to be excessive and might reasonably be reduced by at least 50 per cent; and the effort to restrict competition between omnibuses and trams along the tramway routes was regarded as an unwarranted interference with the rights of the public. "The regulations appear to have been drafted with the object of driving the buses off the road," commented Mr. S. Donaldson (Mayor). "If appeals, in connection with the issue of licenses are to go to a board where those interested have no say,in the.appointment of members, the result is nothing but monopoly. The fairest way would be to make the board elective and constitute it the licensing authority." Mr. Donaldson added that the regulation, making the minimum fare charged by buses on tram.routes or parallel routes tend to become the maximum charged by the trams was unmasked monopoly, and he remarked that the insurance clauses of the regulations were equally inequitable, as they would compel one Auckland company, for example, to carry risks up to £ 300,000. "There was never a more monopolistic concern put before us as that .in these regulations," observed Councillor G. E.~ Smerdon. "There are parallel routes in a number of different parts of the city; and the council should join with the bus-owners to conserve the greatest possible amount of freedom for transit on these routes." The draft regulations were received, and the council approved of the committee's recommendations. The Auckland Omnibus Proprietors' Association voiced an emphatic protest to the regulations in a letter that described them as "drastic and detrimental to the development of transport generally, besides bringing economic ruin to many members of the association." The council decided to reply that it was in sympathy with the views expressed in, the letter. BIRKENHEAD OPPOSITION. Consideration was given last evening by the Birkenhead Borough Council to the proposed Board of Trade regulations for the control of omnibuses.

Mr. H. B. Anderson, secretary of the Auckland Omnibus Proprietors' Association, wrote traversing at length these regulations, which the association deemed to be very drastic and would act detrimentally to the development oi transportation generally.

The Mayor, Mr. E. G. Skeates, said it seemed exceedingly unfair to cut out bus traffic. <The proper way for the trams to compete with buses was by fares charged. He would rather see motor buses at Birkenhead than trams.

Messrs. H. Clark, W. H. Payne and C. E. Campbell spoke in opposition to the regulations, and supporting the statements of the Bus Proprietors' Association.

It was resolved to submit the council's objections to the Public Works Department on lines similar to the clauses set out by the bus owners. The latter association is to be informed that the council endorsed its views and would forward objections to the proper authorities.

The Mayor added that the insurance provision was. simply insurance run wild. The time was when there was no insurance; now they were going to the other extreme.