NEW TRANSPORT LICENCES

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25609, 25 September 1948, Page 2

NEW TRANSPORT LICENCES

RAILWAY ROAD SERVICE’S PREFERENCE CASE REFERRED TO FULL COURT (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Sept. M. The Full Court commenced hearing today a case on the extent of the preference of New Zealand Railway Road Services over private transport companies in the granting of licences to operate passenger transport services- over certain routes where road services were not previously conducted. In November, 1947, application was made to the No. 2 Licensing Authority by the Minister of Railways for a licence to run a through service from Wellington to Rotorua. Applications were also made by the Hawke’s Bay Motor Company, Ltd., for a licence to extend its Napier tp Wairakei services to include a service to Rotorua. Both applicants wished to secure a' licence for a new service from Taihape to Rotorua. A question arose of the extent of preference given to Gov-ernment-run services by Section 27 of the Transport Licensing Act, 1931, which provides that in applications for licences over routes where there is no existing ■ transport service preference shall be given in certain cases to applications by the Government or public bodies. Judge Archer, the Transport Appeal Authority, has stated a case for the Opinion of the Full Court as to whether* first, the Minister of Railways has any statutory preferbnee for his application for the grant of a licence, and second, if the Minister has such preference whether the licensing authority has in any circumstances a discretion, notwithstanding the statutory preference conferred upon the Minister, to grant a licence to a competing applicant, either in addition to of in lieu of a licence to the Minister. The Court reserved its decision.