BIRKENHEAD BUSES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 220, 17 September 1930, Page 10

BIRKENHEAD BUSES.

PROPOSED NEW SERVICE.; '_; ONEWA ROAD ROUTE. AUTHORITY;HEARS : E^IDENCJ]/ .Considerable interest wasshown'in > the application .before!, the No.. 2) Licensing Authority '}■} yesterday • afternoon ' • for authority to establisTi"a bus service between Highbury Corner (Birkentiead) and Nbrthcbte, the . application being from, the Marine Bus "Company, The authority sat in the Chamber, of Commerce rooms, the Mayor of Takapuna (Mr. J. W. Williamson) presiding. The Marine Company ; formerly ran' a service a\ Birkenhead;.; but ;withdr,ew owing to the competition. •', there is a service ■at -Horthcote,. and two firms, run .buses at, Birkenhead.-. It-was, stated that the Birkenhead. •concerns were amalgamating.'. Since the ; Marine Company's application,., one of> the -present companies had- filed an application , for permission to extend'its service along' the Onewa Road.! '-■ >■. >'•' . l

V Correspondence was read from : the kenhead- Borotigh Council stating. , , thatit could not support the -Marine Com-' sany's application. i>; : . -'.. ■ \''■■''• ■'■'■■■ The, owners of the present:services : at Northcote and Birkenhead,.objected 'to'. the Marine Company's .application, and' were represented by counsel;: ■. ' • I

To Meet Every. Boat,

Mr. Lisle Ahdertpn,: who.,appliedsfpr ! : the Marine. Company, said it was; , iu-; tended to run from; Highbury: Corner ..to Northcote. wharf, and thus ;■' serve - the Onewa Eoad neighbourhood, which' at .present was .neglected. It was -proposed meet every boat at Nprthcote/ and' the' fare- from Highbury Corner ;to Northcote wharf would be: 4dcashror2Jd: on, concession card. Mr.-Ariderton produced. a petition signed, by over 400 people- in■ favour of the application. : .■: "'.■■ v Leonard Hayman, electrical manufac: turer,:Ohewa Eoad, said ; the.-part:'where ■he lived was practically- unserved : by transport. The present service-'was inadequate and? the "charges were 'skid to be; the -highestiin ; :l«rew Zeala'nd.■■ '; For a distance: about equal to that from Queen Street to Graf ton Bridge the fare was ijtl cash. It was felt that the propos'ed; service-would'giveithVbnewaiEbad^resi^

dents.;practically a non-stop run- at:* ' much-more; reasonable fare. Mr. Hayman also "emphasised, the advantage that would follow the linking up of the "two boroughs; :■■■ ■-. ■ ''; ■■. ■ ■ : : ■'• "■ -To,.Mr. Hubble: The Waitemata ■ Bus .Company, had 1 had its chance "of giving : Onewa Road a service, but' it had failed, therefore: : he favoured the "Marine -Bus;;;•: Cofafany's-application being granted. , - r To: Mr.: Richmond: He was within 200 yards' of a vbus; but 'the service was not ~i regular. * '.' ." ■' •'- :-..'/■ ' -': ■ 'KG. Swanson, tailor, Calliope Avenue, - Northcote,said'he thought the service of the Waitemata,;Bus Company "could be. .greatly-improved' and the fares were t| excessive." ' '' .■'■■■•■;■'■:" Names and Petitions. ; There were Some amusing exchanges between.'!counsel' and witnesses concern- ■.:, ' ing the petition containing over 400 nanies.. The opposing counsel said .there v - < was.'only' a! handful, of houses in, the Onewa-Road, and - contended that many | of"; iHe 4QO. names must have come from . •.people not. ; '!dire'ctiy interested. '': ', : ■':&. -petition' containingrso names, supporting ■ ;tho'. present service, 'was; said ■' to; contain, 1 the name of "at least one person, who!had. also signed the larger : 'petition. \ / " : 'A witness ■ who had been concerned with "one of the petitions said it was not; i very "difficult to get people to sign any sort of- petition^ .■ .Aifter'agood .deal of evidence had been: heard .the. application was adjourned.,-