Railways Oppose Bus Timetable Change

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29057, 20 November 1959, Page 25

Railways Oppose Bus Timetable Change

The New Zealand Railways Department unsuccessfully objected to an application by Midland Motorways Services, Ltd., for the changing of the departure time of their Christchurch-Dunedin and Dunedin-Christchurch buses from 5.30 p.m. to 5 p.m., at a sitting of the No. 9 Transport Licensing Authority (Mr J. A. Bretherton) in Christchurch yesterday. The application was granted.

Mr W. F. Brown, for Midland Motorways, said that the rail-car for Dunedin left at 5.40 pun., and the proposed alteration would mean that the Midland bus for Dunedin would leave at 5 p.m. There was no advantage to be obtained by Midland over the rail-car.

The rail-car had plenty of competitive advantages, he said. It was faster, cost less to travel on, and left 40 minutes later than the proposed new starting time. Mr L. C. Brown, for the Railways Department, said the proposed earlier time could also affect the 4.15 p.m. Road Services bus from Christchurch to Timaru. The bus was needed for the intermeditate stops that it made, but it could only operate economically with the few Timaru passengers that it carried. The proposed Midland bus service could be more attractive to Road Service bus passengers as well as affecting rail-car loadings, he said.

The Authority said that the earlier starting time was practical and commonsense. It was in the public’s interest that the buses should arrive half an hour earlier at their destinations to enable passengers to book into hotels and make transport arrangements. He could see no real damage being caused the Railways Department. It was clear that the rail-car would not be affected. The railways’ objection regarding the Road Services bus was merely conjecture.

The slight putting forward of the Midland bus departure time would cause little alteration to the 4.15 p.m. bus.

“The Road Services bus must have some advantage. I can think of no’ reason why anyone should travel on it when the railcar and the Midland bus are available,*” Mr Bretherton said. Those persons wanting to travel to Timaru rapidly would not use the 4.15 p.m. bus at all. For those that did travel as far as Timaru in it, it must have some attraction, and the new Midland starting time should not affect that attraction. Midland Motorways Services, Ltd., was also granted the amendment’ of a rental vehicle licence by the addition of four permanent cars. An alteration to alloifr the operation of seasonal cars from the Thursday before Labour Day until April 30, was granted. Horse Floats The New Zealand Trotting Conference was trying to stop the doping of horses, and the carriage of horses to and from meetings in private horse floats would assist this, the president (Mr C. S. Thomas) told the Authority in evidence. Mr Thomas was supporting an application by Derek George Jones, a horse trainer, of Templeton, for a new goods service licence with one vehicle authority for the South Island. Mr J. S. Haywood appeared for Jones. Objections were made by three public transport horse float operators—-Mr J. T. Taylor (Mr H. W Hunter), Crutchly and Kerr, and Mr J. Cox (Mr E. B. E. Taylor). Mr Thomas said that one of his horses was trained by Jones. It would be an advantage for Jones to have his own float for it would allow him to make his own arrangements for the transporting of horses to meetings. It would be specially advantageous in the case of a temperamental horse which should be brought to the course as soon as possible before the race and taken home again as soon as possible. Private ownership of a float could also help in the stamping out of doping, he said. It was hard to get direct evidence of doping of horses and a rule had been brought in that a person in control of a horse found to be drugged was liable to suspension.

There was always a risk with public transport floats. Those in charge of the horses did not always ride in the back, in the box provided, and if the horse was found to be drugged it could not be proved that he was in control.

It was a difficult thing to get over, said Mr Thomas. If a man had a private float, then he was in control and was clearly guilty.

The evidence of the applicant had been inconclusive, said the Authority, refusing the application. Operating his own vehicle would be obviously very convenient, but he was unable to show grounds for complaint against any of the existing operators. The prevention of doping of horses was of considerable importance, but it could be remedied by a domestic rule requiring those in charge of horses to ride with them. No evidence had been given as to the numbers of temperamental horses and there was no evidence of harm in public floats to temperamental horses, the Authority said. The danger of precedent in the case was very clear and it could harm public operators. Service Cancellation The cancellation of bus services run by New Zealand Railways Road Services between Christchurch and Cheviot was agreed to by the Authority on the application of Mr L. C. Brown, for the Railways Department.

Those affected are the 7.45 a.m. Cheviot-Christchurch service and the 4.30 p.m. ChristchurchCheviot service, both of which are run on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. The Christchurch - Kaikoura buses could carry the load adequately, and the ChristchurchCheviot service could be considered redundant, said Mr Brown. A bigger service car would be put on the Kaikoura run. On Fridays an overload car would run as far as was necessary to cope with extra passengers. An additional vehicle authority for the carriage of general goods was granted to Maurice Edward Collier, trading as Woolston Coal and Cartage Depot, 650 Ferry road, Christchurch. Mr J. S. Haywood appeared for Collier. The Suburban Carriers’ Association (Mr I. A. Pringle) objected to the application. Gerald Aubrey Eyles and Ina Dorothy Eyles, cartage contractors, of Ladbrooks (Mr A. B. Harman), were granted a seasonal vehicle authority for a second truck for the period from December 1 to April 30 each year. Mr I. A. Pringle objected for the Suburban Carriers’ Association.

The Waiau Carrying, Lime and Shingle Company, Ltd., Waiau (Mr H. W. Hunter), was granted the extension of a vehicle authority to include the cartage of general goods from October to April inclusive. An application by Basil Walter Keast, of Dacre street, Christchurch (Mr J. S. Haywood), for the transfer of a continuous goods service licence from Ivy Mac Green was granted. Mr L A. Pringle objected for the Suburban Carriers’ Association. An application by Gough, Gough and Hamer, Ltd., of Cashel street, Christchurch, for the deletion of one vehicle authority from its continuous goods service licence was granted. The continuous good-service licence of Jute Industries (N.Z.), Ltd., Riccarton road, Christchurch, was revoked on the application of the Transport Department. Macfarlane Freighters, Ltd., Lichfield street, Christchurch (Mr J. S. Haywood), was granted an additional vehicle authority for general goods. Mr I. A. Pringle objected for the Suburban Carriers’ Association.