BUS CONTROL REGULATIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 111, 12 May 1926, Page 10

BUS CONTROL REGULATIONS.

JUSTIFIED BY PREMIER.

MHXIONS AT STAKE

PROTECTION of RATEPAYERS.

(By Teie?rarh. —?p--c : .al to -Star.") I WELLINGTON, this day. Publication of the motor bus regula-! tions ha? beer. :":".-■ v e -.l by strong criticism from b-.-.s owners. It w.i< with the objeo: of getting som- 1 of the r-oints in justification for tho rer.:!at:ons that your correspondent rationed the Prime Minister, who has hoot -lose.v interested in the who'.e ;tanj>>r: problem resulting from the ir.tro-.i-i -tio-. of motors. Recognition of the d : .rri.--.:lt:es which improve.: road transport must ereite for the ra-.iway; oh: r.ot prevent Mr. from r-: eg the m- st er.thu-iastie Minis*er:a". advocate 0: an improved national hirhwayc. As ror trie motor ho-? regulations, the ' Prime M:n -:?- -aid he w a * diffident about enter-ng into any controversy, but he thought there was a goo-i deal of effective argument available from those interested in the management of pub-; licly o*ned tramway services. "It is suggested by bus owners." continued Mr. Coates. "that the insurance provision means taking out an enormous ; policy. We are going into the question ; of the possibility of accepting a 'blanket' ; policy covering the whole risk of any, individual proprietor, but the Government has a real responsibility to see I that the public are protected in case an ! accident happens and there is a claim j for compensation. If a bus proprietor j was a common carrier he would have his - responsibility, and there is no sound j reason why he should not accept the! Game obligations as a common carrier, i There can he no objection to efficient j Inspection of motor buses, nor to careful j regard for the point that motor drivers ] must he physically fit and competent. ' Modern society demands that, in its' travelling, it must at least be in safe : bands. We have a most rigorous sys- ■ tern of medical examination and an eyeBight test for engine drivers on the rail- j ■Ways, who also have to pass an examina- I tion and submit to years of training. ! The Ratepayers. "Five or six millions of ratepayers' capital are invested in tramway under- j takings in New Zealand." added the, [Prime Minister. "These undertakings j are maintaining one-third of the roads j along which they pass, and it is just a j question whether the City Fathers should watch the hii2e losses bein<r created each year or take to consider the economic aspect. The losses cannot go on indefinitely. If pirate bus competition is allowed it is obvious that some tramway systems must close up. I and the people who will lose will be those who. as ratepayers, may be usin-r the buses, but have their money invested I in the trams. * j "These regulations have gone through \ a long process of consideration. They submitted in draft to tramway authorities, local bodies, the bus owners' organisation, and, to some extent, the public were given opportunity through chambers of commerce and other organisations, to exnress its views. The Government's officers have studied the situation here, and they see a danger of complications from an economic point of <view, and they can also read and learn what is happening elsewhere. "Mr. Christie. Crown law draftsman. "who recently made a trip abroad, wa« specially commissioned by the Government to investigate motor bus comnetition against trams in America and England. He reported before the regulations were anproved. and he says they conform to those adopted in other parts of the world."