"INSECURITY OF TENURE"

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21323, 16 November 1934, Page 10

"INSECURITY OF TENURE"

Motor Passenger Services EXTENSION OF TERM URGED [THE PEESS Special Seivice.] DUNEDIN, November 15. A claim that the holders of licenses for motor passenger services were in constant fear that they might be ruined by refusal of a renewal of their licenses, and that they should be given greater security by an extension of the term of licenses, was made by Mr C. J. L. While in an address to the No. ■) Transport Licensing Authority. "It must be conceded by any fairminded person," said Mr White, "that before the coming into operation of the Transport Act on November 11, 1931, road competition was so wasteful and the competition of road services so keen that the whole system was economically unsound. When the Transport Act became law, and the various boards first sat, considerable weeding put occurred, and there was a survival of only the fittest services, which placed these surviving services on a much better economic footing, besides giving the public reasonable and much surer regular services at times when they most required them." Fewer Services There had been constant reductions in the number of services operating until in 1933 it was clearly intimated'that it would be the policy of the boards to endeavour to bring about a co-ordination of all road services. The birth of this policy no doubt resulted from a realisation by the Government and by the licensing authorities that the public required a reasonable road service, operating not only where railway facilities were not available, but also as an alternative service on routes covered by the railway itself. It would appear that the reason for endeavouring to effect this co-ordination was to provide the public with regular, and proper road services and on railway routes with regular alternative services for those who preferred or who were obliged, by reason of the locality where they lived, to travel by bus. Many "of the bus proprietors, particularly in the Otago district, realised that the policy of the Government and of the boards, in requiring some co-ordination of the service, was a wise and necessary one, and as a result many of them got together to consider the possibility of effecting some co-ordination.

Co-ordination Scheme For the main south road between Dunedin and Balclutha, with its contributory services, a co-ordina-tion scheme of considerable magnitude and of great efficiency had been evolved, said Mr White. But in spite of the expense which had been incurred, there was under the existing legislation no power to give the interests concerned security of tenure, and surely they were entitled to protection for, say, a limited number of years. "I respectfully suggest," said Mr White, "that the time has now come when the board might put forward recommendations to the Government that the services surviving after the sittings should be assured that they will not be interfered with by further weedings or Government interference for such period of years as may be deemed reasonable. I ask that the board should make some recommendations to the Government that some security of tenure of license should be granted to the surviving services."

Board's Sympathy The chairman (Mr A. I. W. Wood) said that the board was in sympathv with all operators, and realised that the term of the licenses should be increased. The authority had felt, in asking operators to co-ordinate! that the question of tenure was important, and indeed had felt diffident in asking them to expend considerable sums when there was no greater security. It felt that if the operators had a longer tenure it might be possible to bring about a greater degree of co-operation. He understood that officers of the Transport Department were investigating the matter, and no doubt they wouH be pleased to receive the recommendations. He undertook to forward Mr White's statement to the prone--quarter, with the board's recommendations.