TWOPENCE EXCESS FARE

Evening Post, Volume 137, Issue CXI, 10 June 1926, Page 10

TWOPENCE EXCESS FARE

DISCRETIONARY POWER TO BE

GIVEN

MEETING SPECIAL CASES.

Since the provisions of the omnibus regulations were announced there has been much criticism of the clause requiring bus owners'to charge their passengers twopence more than the ordin- , ary tram fare over the routes where the two services are competing. Last night the Prime Minister announced that an Ordcr-in-Couneil is to be issued vesting discretionary power in licensing authorities in the matter of charging the excess fare. "It has been decided," said Mr. Coates, "to make one alteration in the motor omnibus regulations about to come into operation. The alteration is in reference to the provision which requires every motor omnibus running in direct competition with a tramway to charge at least 2d more than the corresponding tram fare. According to the balance of evidence put forward at the recent conference of parties concerned, and the information obtained by the Public Works Department, as to running costs in Now Zealand and other countries, this charge fairly represents both the amount which it is necessary to impose to protect the capital sunk in municipal tramway undertakings from the spasmodic attacks of omnibus competition, and also the amount which, in view of' the difference in running expenses between trams and* omnibuses, it is necessary for an omnibus service to charge if it is to avoid a loss in tho long run.

"Representations have, however, been made that special cases may exist in which a motor-Ofhnibus service operating, along a tram route under such conditions as to afford a legitimate

public convenience and therefore to bo entitled to receive a license, is capable of so operating without the need of the additional twopence excess fare. "It has been decided to meet this position by leaving it to the discretion of the local licensing authority in any case in w'dch application is made to waive the imposition of the additional twopence. As in other matters left in the hands of the local authority, this decision is to be subject to appeal to the transport appeal board of the district. "It is felt that this modification will be in line with the general tenor of the regulations in leaving as much as possible to be settled by the local representatives of the public who are primarily concerned. Although it may be. questioned whether there will be many cases in which the omnibus proprietors will be able to satisfy the licensing authority or the appeal board that a fair case is made out for the concession, the modification of tho existing hard-and-fast provision should go a long way to meet the criticism which has been levelled at the regulations, probably as the result of one or two cases of hardship which could not bo met by- a provision framed generally for the whole Dominion. "The necessary alteration," added the Prime Minister, "will be effected by an amending Order-in-Council which it is intended to issue at an early date."