OMNIBUS DEFINED

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 85, 7 October 1929, Page 10

OMNIBUS DEFINED

STATUS OF SERVICE CARS

A BYLAW CONDEMNED

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.)

HAMILTON, This Day

Mr. Justice Ostler, in a reserved judgment delivered to-day, quashed the Hamilton Borough- bylaw which includes under the omnibus regulations servico cars having their terminal hc^re. Under tho bylaw theer are special structural requirements for omnibuses, which it is claimed aro quite impracticable as applied to the usual typo of service car. The Judgo mentioned thirty such vehicles registered at Hamilton. No prosecution had yet boon taken for breaches of the bylaw which had not been complied with. This appeared to indicate that the borough officials themselves realised that it was unreasonable to enforco the bylaw regulation. His Honour considered that tho public would be adequately protected if tho servico cars wore licensed as motorcabs. He suggested that au omibus should be defined as a motor vehicle, which is designed to carry more than nine persons, including tho driver, and in which separate fares are charged for each seat. Another important point related to the limiting of competition between private concerns on bus routes. Tho Judgo remarked that the borough inspector had admitted that in one or two. cases where 'the bylaw had been enforced the object was not the good government of the borough or public safety, but to prevent competition . between rival carriers. He had yet to loam that boroughs had power to prevent"such competition. .