AUCKLAND ANOMALY.

Auckland Star, Issue 17, 21 January 1932, Page 10

AUCKLAND ANOMALY.

BUS SERVICE LICENSES. BOUNDARY REVISION NEEDED UNIFORM control lacking. At least one remarkable anomaly will be created by the new Transport Licensing Act unless there is some revision of the boundaries of the Auckland metropolitan licensing authority. Under this system the control depends upon the location of the terminus at the outer end, and upon that alone. Thus, if a (service to tile city runs for six or seven miles in the licensing area of the Auckland Transport. Board, and a hundred yards beyond, it is the outside authority that issues the license. A revision of the boundaries is all that appears to be necessary to remove this anomaly; and it is said that a change would be to the advantage of the controlling authority, the operators of the service, and the general public. Most of the services run by any one company are essentially interdependent, and a uniform control is regarded as the only satisfactory method of dealing with them. An instance of the difficulties which might arise under the present arrangement of the districts is seen in the case of Ellerslie and Panmurc. Some of the buses t<» these districts have their terminus within the Transport Board's area and other run from Otahuhu, via. Panmure and Ellerslie. Other cases of the same kind could lie cited to show that it is imperative that the districts as at present formed should lie altered. Auckland is dealt with under th- new Act as if its problems were dill'erent from those of the other three cities. The difficulty about licensing buses which run partly in one district and partly in another is to be overcome, as far as the rest of New Zealand is concerned, by setting up a central licensing authority. Also, bus operators in all districts except Auckland will have the right to appeal against the decisions of the licensing authorities. The new No. 2 .licensing district which is to be constituted will include the counties of Waitemata, Great Barrier, and Manukau, excepting the Mangerc riding, the boroughs of Birkenhead, Northcotc, Takapuna, Devonport, New Lynn, Otahuhu, and the town districts of Helensvillc, Henderson, Glen Eden, Howick, Papatoetoe, Manurewa, and Papa k ura.