MOTOR PASSENGER SERVICES

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21324, 17 November 1934, Page 9

MOTOR PASSENGER SERVICES

i —♦ — I TEN IKE OF LICENSES j DISCUSSED I i __ , The claim that holders of licenses for motor passenger services should be given greater security by an extension of the term of. the licenses ! was supported yesterday by the Hon. W. Hay ward, M.L.C.. managing director of Rink Taxis, Ltd. In an address to the Transport Licensing Authority in j Dunedin en Thursday, Mr C. J. L. White I suggested the extension of licenses, and also said that holders were in constant fear that they might be ruined by refusal of renewal- of their licenses. Mr Hayward agreed with those claims. It was obvious from the start, said Mr Hayward. that the tenure of the licenses would be a difficulty. As one affected he appreciated that there were (then so many cars on the road, and !so much vicious wastage and pricei cutting, that a system of annual ( licenses was the only way of dealing l with the situation. Now that the thinning-out had taken place, the number of firms or cars operating on ! most lines was practically down to a minimum, and it appeared absolutely necessary that some security of tenure should be given to the operating Anns. Unless such security was given no new plant would be purchased, and in their own interest firms would simply make the best of the present plant. If it were so arranged that a firm could feel satisfied that its license would be discontinued only for some solid reason—actual inability to carry on, for example, or breaches of the law and regulations—then it could set out to improve and extend its plant, j Mr Hayward said he hoped that the! difficulties of the present license i system would be removed. He thought, that the Transport Department appro-; dated the position now. and that the' trouble would gradually right itself! since, with a minimum of Arms and j cars operating, licenses would auto-! matically continue unless there werej grave faults for which a firm itself I' was to blame. " The most desirable development, of course, would be an actual extension of the period of licenses. ________„_„_„___