MOTOR BUS TRAFFIC

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 95, 16 January 1926, Page 8

MOTOR BUS TRAFFIC

PROPOSED REGULATIONS

"ALEEGEb BLOW AT PRIVATE ENTERPRISE

The draft regulations for. the control of omnibus traffic, which have caused much irritation in many parts of the Dominion, are very comprehensive. A brief summary of their provisions will give some idea of their trend. The definition of motor-omnibus is "auv mechanically propelled vehicle having a seating capacity of not less than ten passengers, carrying or intended to carry passengers for hire at separate fares, of not more than 2s. for each passenger per single journey, but docs not include a. vehicle running on rails or a vehicle which receives motive-power from an overhead wire if such vehicle is the property of and is run by any local authority.” No person is to drive such bus without a license. Each licensing authority is empowered to regulate the bus traffic, decide the fares to be charged, the routes to be followed, the time-tables to be kept, etc. . , Owners must insure against liability for £5OOO.

Fares in competition with a tramway shall not be less than those charged by such tramway. Fines for plying without a license or for any breach of the conditions of the license shall not exceed £'2o, or £5 a day, for a continuing offence. Licenses may be cancelled, with right of appeal to the transport appeal board, comprising a Stipendiary Magistrate as chairman, a member appointed by the Government, one appointed by the bus proprietors, one by the local authorities, and one by the tramway proprietors, holding office for three years.

The districts number ten, and include the following:—

3. The boroughs of New Plymouth, Waitara, and Inglewood, the Taranaki County, and the town districts in or adjoining such county. 4. The City of Wanganui, the counties of Waitotara and Wanganui, and the town districts in or adjoining such counties. 5. The borough of Palmerston North d the County of Kairanga.

6. The boroughs of Napier and Hastings, * lie Hawke’s Bay County, and the town districts in or adjoining such county.

7. The city of Wellington, the bori oughs of Eastbourne, Petone, and Lower Hutt, the counties of Makara and Hutt, and the town districts in or adjoining such counties. Master Carriers Protest. The regulations were considered at a general meeting of the Wellington Master Carriers’ Association yesterday. Several of the provisions contained in the regulations were viewed with grave dissatisfaction, and it was unanimously decided to forward to the Prime Minister a prof'st on the following grounds:— (1) That the regflations are a direct blow at private e..terprise, inasmuch as they discriminate in favour of public body trading to the detriment of private enterprise. (2) That tlie principle embodied in the regulations is a violation of tht rights of private enterprise to engage in any class of legitimae trading, and, furthermore, a dangerous one, inasmuch as it may be subsequently extended for the purpose of eliminaing private enerprise from the transport

of goods and passengers, where such transport is in competition with the railways. (3) That as motor transport ts proving of great convenience, and a cheaper mode of transport to wage-earners in particular, any regulations having the effect of restricting motor transport must necessarily react upon tile cost-of-livintr and the standard of living, of the workers, and, consequently, upon awards of the Arbitration Court.