SPEED OF BUSES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVII, Issue 237, 3 September 1927, Page 9

SPEED OF BUSES.

CASE BEFORE COURT. MAGISTRATE’S COMMENTS. (From Our Own Correspondent.) FOXTON, Sept. 3. At the Foxton Magistrate’s Court, before Mr J. L. Stout, 'S.M., the Manawatu County Council (Mr Berry) proceeded against J. O’Reilly, a driver of one of Messrs Madge Bros.’ char-a-bancs running between Palmerston North and Foxton, for allegedly driving at an excessive speed contrary to the motor regulations governing buses. Mr Oram appeared for the defendant. Mr Berry, in evidence, stated that the motor regulations provided that buses in class g, which governed Messrs Madge Bros.’ char-a-bancs, were allowed to travel' at 14 miles per hour with an increase of 20 per cent, bringing .the speed up to a maximum of 16 miles per hour. On a recent date witness had timed O’Reilly’s bus and found that it was doing 33 miles per hour on the Himatangi road. The council had received .a great number of complaints from Messrs Madge Bros.’ about the bad state of the county roads and this the county attributed to the pace at which vehicles such as these travelled over the highways. The Magistrate: You don’t think they are going to slow down to 14 miles per hour, do you? - Mr Berry said that they could apply for permission to increase the. speed. Defendant’s firm had done this since the issue of the summons. The Magistrate (after reading the regulations): If these apply to passenger buses then it is time the regulations were redraftod. Mr Berry : They were only, drawn up in 1927. The Magistrate: Surely they were not intended to applv to motor buses. Counsel for defendant: Technically my 1 client comes within those regulaTho magistrate: They provide that vehicles of certain weights can travel at certain speeds. I suppose bus owners are expected to weigh up the passengers before they start. Mr Oram: Fifteen passengers go to the ton, Your Worship. (Laughter.) The magistrate: Is this an attempt to put the lorries off the road because they are running in opposition to the railwavs? It’s unreasonable. Mr Berry said that the only solution his council could see to preserve the roads was to prevent these heavy vehicles travelling so quickly. The magistrate: If they do that "they will put the ’buses oft the road and what will happen then? The railways can’t cater for the passengers. Mr Berry: Messrs Madge Bros, could have obtained permission to increase the speed of their char-a-bancs. The magistrate: Sixteen miles an hour is a bit slow. After consulting the regulations, the magistrate said that if a ’bus was equipped with solid tires it was allowed to go at the rate of onlv seven miles per hour (Laugher ) The maximum speed allowed ’buses fitted with pneumatic tires was 14 miles per hour, plus 20 per cent. This regulation, if enforced simply meant that the ’buses would have to go off the roads If the Railway Department wanted to cater for the veiling public it should put on steam or petrol ’buses. It was no use asking anyone to travel on the whitebait exnress.” There was no comfort or any convenience. The first-class accommodation was not fit for second-class travelling. The ’buses were a convenience to tire public and the council should remember this fact. Defendan would be convicted and discharged a - though he (the magistrate) was doubtful as to whether he should dismiss the case as trivial. j