SPECIAL RESERVED SEATS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 139, 14 June 1926, Page 5

SPECIAL RESERVED SEATS.

■ » — ON MAIN TRUNK EXPRESSES. NEW REGULATION IN FORCE. A few months ago a judge of the Supreme Court wished to travel by the Limited Express from » Auckland to Frankton. He was given a reserved seat, the label stating that it would become vacant at the latter station. A passenger who was desirous of securing & scat, and knowing that it could not be reserved for distances under 100 miles, occupied the chair, which he refused to give up when requested to do so. A prosecution followed and the Magistrate who heard the case gave his verdict ill favour of the passenger. During the course of his judgment the Magistrate pointed out that there was no regulation giving the Railway Department the right to reserve any seat for distances under 100 miles. Subsequent to tiie case being heard, a new regulation governing the position was gazetted, and it is now in force, it became operative within the last two or three weeks. The regulation, which is an amendment to part I, clause 3 of the Railway Tariff, 1020, reads as follows: — "Notwithstanding anything contained in this regulation, the Department shall have the right, subject to such conditions as it may think fit, to reserve, for any distance, any railway carriage or compartment or seat in a railway carriage for any particular reason or for any person or class of persons.''