PENINSULA BUSES

Evening Star, Issue 24265, 5 August 1942, Page 2

PENINSULA BUSES

TRAVEL PERMITS SUGGESTED

The Dunedin Metropolitan Licensing Authority at a sitting yesterday stated that it was not prepared to recommend any alteration in the existing services of the Peninsula Motor Services Ltd. on the facts submitted, but was of the opinion that the wishes of the Government could best be met by the introduction of a system of permits for essential travel only. The decision was arrived at in respect to the bus services of the company, which, along with those of the City Corporation Transport Department, were reviewed in order, if possible, to meet the wishes of the Government in regard > to the curtailment of bus time tables in view of the shortage of tyres and petrol. The authority agreed to accept the proposals submitted by the City Corporation Transport Department, and asked that these should be put into operation as early as practicable. The proposals provide for a saving of 3,054 miles a week, or 26.34 per cent. Those present were:—Messrs E. J. Smith (in the chair), J W. Munro, M.P., R. Walls, and D. C Jolly. The Chairman explained that at the previous meeting a report bad been received from the manager of the City Corporation Transport Department, Mr- W. S. MacKenzie, making proposals for a reduction m the corporation’s bus services, but the other service operator cited, the Peninsula Motor Services Ltd., could not, at that stage, see its way to meet the position. The company’s representative, Mr G- S. Kirby, had been asked to confer with his directors and also with the representative of the Transport Department, Mr A. N. Haggitt, to formulate concrete proposals to be considered by the authority. He understood that Mr Kirby had seen Mr Haggitt, and the authority had received a report and a letter from the company dealing with its position. COMPANY’S SUGGESTION. The company in its report stated that it had made drastic outs in all its operations, the running having been reduced to essential services. All special trips, observation tours, and purely pleasure running had been eliminated, and the goods service, which previously van 47,000 miles a year, had been the company submitted that its time table should remain as at present, but that in order to reduce to reasonable proportions the present amount of over-loading of buses the Government should give urgent attention to the introduction of a system of priority or travel permits. The report drew attention to the fact that in December last, when petrol licenses were drastically cut, the cut in the company’s license was restored immediately on the grounds, that further curtailment of the services would lead to inevitable overcrowding and seriously affect the safety of ..the service. Mr Haggitt submitted that Sunday running could be eliminated, as he considered it was non-essential. , On behalf of the company, Mr F. V. Bayne, a director, said that approximately 400 passengers were carried on Sundays. Many of these were Home Guardsmen and members of the services, and there was no possibility of any alternative form of travel being provided for them. If Sunday running were eliminated it would mean that traffic would be diverted to Fridays, Saturdays, and Mondays, thus adding seriously to the over-crowding problem. Mr Kirby said be had been in touch with the president of the Omnibus Proprietors’ Association, who had assured him that inspectors in the North Island centres were strictly observing the Government’s regulations concerning the overcrowding of buses. Passengers in overcrowded buses were ordered to leave, and additional buses were provided tor them. He expressed the hope that nothing would be done to hinder the company’s operations. The Chairman; We do not want to hinder any services, but unfortunately we have to meet the situation created by the world war. ’