TRANSPORT LICENSING

Evening Star, Issue 21879, 16 November 1934, Page 7

TRANSPORT LICENSING

SOUTH ROAD SERVICES APPLICATIONS BEFORE NO. 9 AUTHORITY A group of applications by the prop'riete'rs of services travelling over the road between Dunedin and Milton for, renewal of licenses occupied the attention of the No. 9 District Licensing Authority yesterday afternoon and night. The authority consists of Messrs A. I. W. Wood (chairman), J. Preston, and W. Blackie. ' KAITANGATA-DUNEDIN. Hearing of the _ application of R. Wallace for a renewal of license between Kaitaugata and Dunedin was continued. Mr C. J. L. White, who appeared on behalf of two opponents, claimed that the' applicant had been warned by the Central Licensing Authority that he would have difficulty in obtaining a renewal of his license, and said that his conduct of his .service since that time had been a gestiire of despair. His service was an example of wasteful competition., The, applicant had been seizing every straw, and had obtained the mail contract at what seemed a ridiculous figure. Air 0. Stevens, who represented the

applicant, said that his client had pioneered the route over which he ran, and it -would be unfair if he were to be eliminated for the benefit of South Road Services. He suggested that coordination . could bo effected by allowing Wallace to continue .to run and eliminating one of the trips run by South Road Services. The board reserved its decision. RAILWAY OBJECTIONS. ; South Road Services applied for the renewal of licenses for.services between' Dunedin and Balclutha and Dunedin and Clinton, and also asked that the fares which it was obliged to charge’ should be reduced. Any reduction in the fares was opposed by the Railways Department, the representative of which (Mr H. L. Gibson) said that the road operators as a whole considered the present fares to be reasonable. Air J. Sawers, also of the Railways Department, said that he knew of only one request for reduced market day and week-end fares by an operator in the North Island, and in that case it was refused because of the financial position of the applicant. In fixing the fares between Dunedin and Balclutha the de-' partment had not worried about road competition, but had merely been trying to develop its own traffic. The board reserved-its decision, asking South Road Services to submit a return showing the effect that reduced fares would have upon the company’s balance-sheet.

ROXBURGH-DUNEDIN. A. Earl, for whom Mr R. IX Jamieson appeared, applied for a renewal of a license to run between Roxburgh and Dunedin and also for increased carrying capacity. The latter request was opposed by Wan aka Motors Ltd., represented by Mr Ward. The applicant stated that the in-. ’ creased capacity was required as a result .'of a substantial increase in the rinihber of .passengers carried, but Mr Ward claimed that his clients, running on "practically the same time table, were Able to cope witli the extra traffic. After hearing Mr Earl, who declined to sell his morning trip to Roxburgh to Wanaka Motors at valuation, the board reserved its decision. application withdrawn. ; An application by the Mount Cook Tourist Company Ltd. for a license .to operate from Queenstown to Lumsden, via the new Kingston road, was withdrawn, Mr R. L. Wigley, who appeared for the company, asking that the license should apply from Queenstown to the Kawarau dam and across the peninsula to the lakeside. Mr Gibson said that the Railways Department would take • exception to any service traffic on the QueenstownKingstou road, and Mr Ward, for the Lumsden Tourist Company, also suggested that the Mount Cook Tourist Company had its eyes on the Queeus-town-Kingston route. The board indicated that it was prepared to grant a license to run as re-

quired, but stressed -.the. fact that the license was only for a tourist excursion service to the old ferry wharf at the lakeside. Mr Wigley was required to give; an undertaking that the license would hot be regarded as giving the right, .to a service.on -the QueenstownKingstonroad. GENERAL. William Cook, of Waipiata, applied for a license to carry goods and passengers on ; the route from. Waipiata to Patearpa, via the sanatorium, with a deviation, Mr Jamieson stating that the alteration was required for the pur» pose of carrying out a mail contract. In .'the;; alternative the applicant asked for a goods license for the imrpose of carrying mail , and small parcels.—Mr Ward appeared " for Mrs F.M'Atamney, who objected, claiming that there were two persons in the disI trict who could carry the mail,and had licenses that would entitle them to do: so:—Mr H. S. -Ross also objected oh behalf of 1). Jones, who asked'that if a -license was granted the size of parcels should be limited.—Decision was reserved. Edward Gallagher, of Ranfurly, applied for a license for road, contract work, and the board intimated that it was prepared to grant the request. J. -Mackay; of Wedderburn, was granted the right to increase the maximum load of a vehicle. O. Overton was granted a license for a round trip from Queenstown, touching at Pembroke. ' • ' R. C;< Craig, .who was represented by Mr Ward, asked, for a license to use / an extra vehicle, to enable him to carry mail in .the ' OmakamMatakanni area. The purpose, ho said, was merely to avoid a. position in' which the vehicle already licensed -would be tied up. Ho also asked for a new route license from Lauder to Becks to enable him to fulfil a mail contract, Mr Wood pointing out that vehicles delivering goods from a business owned by Craig were already running over the route.—Other licensed operators in the district opposed the application.—The board reserved its decision, ■