TRANSPORT ACT

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 109, 10 May 1932, Page 8

TRANSPORT ACT

BUS OWNERS' TIEW

PROBABLE BENEFITS

■ The report, of the president of the N.Z. Motor Bus Proprietors' Association, Mr. Norman Bell,. presented at the annual meeting surveyed; the conditions of bus transport during the past twelve months. Two .hundred, and fifty buses of the suburban type are owned, by the members, and it was decided to enlist the support" of ■ all companiei operating similar services..

"The Transport; Act, 1931, was con« sideredto he a means of rationalising transport,", stated 'the presidents "The test of the Act. will be at subsequent licensing periods. . It is believed that reliable and organised transport services will ;be enabled to operate more efficiently in the future and that "in, the main, the Act Trill ultimately benefit the bus proprietor, the passenger and the taxpayer.". Prior to the passing of the Act, it was stated all members had operated their services under the Motor Omnibus Traffic Act, 1926, and for the past five years a succession of regulations governing bus design and operation had been gazetted. The regulations had now been so universally carried out and- acted upon that* buses 'to-day; had reached a high standard of ■ com-' fort, reliability, safety; and convenience. . . . . . . . ; . PREEDOM FEOMACCIDENT. One important result of the high standard of bus construction and maintenance, and in particular freedom from. accident, was that the insurancecompanies had reduced the - premiums for tnird-parfy insurance,- which covered personal injuries to passengers and others, by amounts varying from 25 per cent, to 35 per cent;, according to the number of passengers No doubt, in the: past, premiums had been too highland if the recognition of the efficiency and safety of bus transport was somewhat tardy^ the important fact was that,,of all forms of motor transport, bus transportation,hadbeen proved by the Jecords of -the insurance pool •to be^ worthy of reduced .' insurance premiums. ' Reference was made to the fact that a fatality recently occurred when a motor-lorry carrying passengers collided with a.train on a level crossing. The lorry had been described in the Press as a motor-bus. , ... . : It was decided to request.tie Transport Department to appoint inspectors ■without delay to ensure that'drivers of motor-lorries should be ; correctly licensed when carrying passengers and that the vehicles should be examined ' by the Public Works Department and^ the passengers covered by insurance in accordance,with the,terms of .the Act. 1 The following officers were elected: —President, Mr. Norman Bell; ricepresident, Hon. E. W. Allison; hon. secretary, Mr. C. L. Bishop; hon. auditor, Mr. W. H. 1 Nankervis; exeeutiy.e, Messrs.; L. J. Keys and Spencer (Auckland), P. Smillie (Palmerston North), L. Laugesen (Christchurch), G. S. Kirby (Dunedin), ■' lV < '