The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1929. THE TRANSPORT BILL.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 232, 1 October 1929, Page 6

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1929. THE TRANSPORT BILL.

For M« euM« <Aff< lacks (Utittanoe, For the wrong that needs rettittanee, for the future in the distance, Amt the good that we can da.

L There is 110 more difficult task ahead oj j Parliament and the national and local civl service in this country than the reconeiliatior C of public and private transport interests. II l Auckland is not rather more fully aware oi this fact than the other centres, it should be. ' This is what makes the new transport Bill so important. Described as "the first step towards t the preparation of a comprehensive measure dealing with motor transport," it is at once a consolidating measure and an advance to new ground. It is this 'advance that is particularly important. The taking from trading bodies such as the Auckland Transport Board the right to license their competitors is only one of the new proposals. The licensing of motor buses is extended to service cars, and power is given to the Government to apply the provisions of the Act to any class of motor vehicles running on definite routes. This means that motor lorry services may be licensed and controlled in the same way v.s passenger services. Incidentally it is worth mentioning that all tax exemptions from the payment of annual licensing fees are abolished, which we take it means that Government cai's will have to pay their footing. This is quite a proper provision, for no State vehicle is endowed with the magic property of using a without wearing it down. The Bill contemplates control of all motor transport under a system that gives State and! municipal enterprise preference. This is the dangerous feature of the measure. It is what led to yesterday's deputation from the western suburbs to Mr. Mason, M.P. Residents there are apprehensive lest the Railways Department should use this legislation to establish a monopoly. The Bill says that where application is made by any local or public authority, or by the Minister of Railways (who for the first time is thus legally recognised), and also by any other person, preference shall be given to the local authority or the Minister, as the case may be,, if certain conditions are fulfilled. The local authority or the Department must satisfy the licensing authority that it is prepared to carry on a service sufficient to meet the reasonable requirements of the public. The question is. whether the safeguards are sufficient. Since at any time motor lorry services may be brought under this provision, wo may look forward, if the Bill is passed, to the possibility of the Railways Department trying to curb the activities of embarrajsing competition in both passenger and goods traffic. It would appear that a motor service running alongside a railway comes under this measure. These and other provisions in the Bill,will have to be carefully considered by Parliament. The country is really feeling its way like a mariner in a fog. It does not know what time will bring forth in transport development, yet conditions are such that it cannot be content to drift.