OMNIBUS AREA

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 9 April 1930, Page 2

OMNIBUS AREA

MEETING OF LOCAL BODY DELEGATES CONTROL Or BUS SERVICES A meeting of local body delegates, convened by the Tabunanui Town Hoard, for the purpose of defining a motor omnibus area, was held this morning at the City Council Chambers. The following delegates were in attendance :--

City Coundil: Mr W. J. Moffafct (.Mayor), Councillor G. I\ Russell and ihe City Engineer (Mr J. G. I.ittlejolm). Tahunanui Town Board: Messrs F. W. Greenslade (chairman) and J. Radford.

W'aimea County Council- Councillors ,'. ('order 'chairman) and G. Manson. Richmond Borough Coiinc".:: Mi' H. W. Kelly (Mayor) and Councillor Schroder.

.Mr Moffatt was voted to the chair.

The chairman called upon Mr Greenslade to explain why the meeting had I "(Ml convened.

Mr Greenslade said the meeting had been •exiled to consider the motor serv.ees, owing to the continued .-omplaints due to (he running of the services. Thfe complaints were confined moie to the T.'diuna aid Richmond districts. H's eoard was not putting the blame on any one man o- any one service regarding certain complaints; and it had therefore bee > decided to - convene f'c meeting with (he object of arriving at some definite decision

'the chairman said that owing to competition and one service irying to get ahead of (ho other the timetables were not being kept to. Councillor Corder: "Why did you not insist or. s.lie timetables beirg carried out?"

The chairman said an endeavour had been made to do so.

Mr Kelly said the Richmond time (able had been carried out in its en t irety.

The chairman said he was really re ferring to wdiat had happened in the past. In reply to Councillor Schroder the chairman said he had heard no complaint as to the Richmond service. The City Engineer remarked that the services kept neither to the routes nor to the timetables. lie gave instances of people missing 'buses owting to the timetable not being adhered to.

In reply to the Mayor the Engineer said it would be impossible to compel the services to keep to timetables without inspectors being .appointed. The services were not being run as they should be. For one thing there were too many of them.

Tn reply to Mr Kelly, the Engineer said he did not think one service which might be running to timetable should be jeopardised at the expense of others.

Mr Greenslade asked whether it was wise, to go into past history. Two motor 'lms proprietors had waited on Ibis board and admitted there were faults on both sides. If an agreement could bo reached to remedy the present state of affairs it would be in the interests of till concerned. Councillor Russell agreed. All knew the service was unsatisfactory, and if an improvement could be agreed on it would be of benefit to the. city. The chairman emphasised the need of a reliable 'bus service from the point of view net only of visitors but the community generally. In reply to Councillor Colder the City Engineer said the Council could regulate the timetables so far as the city was concerned. There should bo stopping places along the routes at which the 'buses should be pulled up. Mr Kelly said the matter was of particular importance to Richmond which was a- residential place. The borough now bad a suitable service, and has no fault to find. But if an omnibus area was created it might work detrimentally to the borough by interfering with the present satisfactory service. The Mayor read the Act, which made it clear that if an area was created there would be no obligation on the part of local bodies to buy out any of the existing services^. The City Engineer explained the method to adopt in setting up an omnibus district.

Mr Kelly thought the whole difficulty could be overcome by compelling 'buses which did not do so to run. to timetable. Mr Greenslade said he did not wish to bring in the personal element at all. But complaints had been made to his board of 'buses racing neck and neck. Mr Manson said that only yesterday he. had seen three 'buses racing along the Stoke road.

In replv to the chairman, the Engineer said it would be impossible to control the services without setting up an omnibus area.

Mr Kelly suggested that be'fore any definite decision was come to evidence should be heard from the proprietors of the services.

In reply to Councillor Cbrder, the Engineer said the service cars would be brought in under an omnibus area. Mr Grcenslade pointed out that his board was not endeavouring to favour its own district or one particular service.

The City Engineer said that a licensing authority had no control over the services outside its own area. There could not be a general control under existing circumstances. Mr Radford thought the interests of the community were the chief consideration.

Tlie chairman said he thought an assurance could be given to the Richmond delegates that nothing would be done to jeopardise the borough from a residential point of view. He felt it highly desirable in. the best interests of the whole district that an omnibus area, should be created. He trusted that an agreement would be reached by the niecting, and that before being finalised local bodies concerned should first be consulted.

Councillor Corder asked if any complaints had been received from the users of the services. If service cars were brought in difficulties might be created by them being pegged down to oneroute when returning or leaving the city.

After some further discussion the fcllowing motion.' moved by the chairman and seconded by Mr Radford, was carried unanimously:—"That this meeting, considering it desirable to have efficient and reliable motor omnibus services to serve the country and city areas, recommends that the Nelson City Council, the Richmond Borough Council, tie Waimoa County Council, and the Tahunanui Town Board submit their views on what would be a desirable service to suit their particular interests in a view to instituting a motor omnibus area to be controlled by a committee on the basis of community of interest as provided for in the Motor Omnibus Act." 11 was decided that a further meeting be held in the second week in May to receive the recommendations of the local bodies concerned. The meeting then terminated.