TERMINUS FOR BUSES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21561, 4 August 1933, Page 11

TERMINUS FOR BUSES

USE OF STATION SITE A COMPLICATED PROBLEM POSITION OF CITY COUNCIL Various reports on the proposal to remove tho present passenger bus terminus from Commerce Street to one of the streets on the old station site were submitted to the City Council at its meeting last evening. When the original decision of the council was made known an objection was received from the Railway Department, as the owners of the old station site, on the ground that inevitable and serious damage would be done to its property. It was contended the constitution of a bus terminus would preclude the use of many valuable sections for the purposes for which they were intended. In the meantime, a further complication has arisen by reason of the Metropolitan Licensing Authority renewing licences for a number of the bus services, stipulating Commerce Street as tho city terminus. Tho opinion of the Legal and By-laws Committee of the council, as stated in a report presented last evening, was that tho council should cancel the present stand in Commerce Street and establish a stand for eastern-bound buses on the old station site. It was also suggested the council should recommend to the Licensing Authority that the route should be amended to provide for buses to enter the city from Anzac Avenue via Britomart Place, Quay Street and the short uh-named road between the Northern Roller Mills and tho New Zealand Shipping Company's premises, to the proposed terminus, and to leave via the short road opposite Commerce Street, Customs Street, Beach Road and Anzac Avenue. It was recommended that the Railway Department should be advised that if it was shown to the council at any time that the use of tho station site for a bus terminus was preventing tho sale of a section the matter would be reviewed by the council.

The powers and responsibilities of the council were outlined in a report sub-' mitted by the city solicitor, Mr. J. Stanton, who, after explaining the position under the Transport Licensing Act and the council's by-laws, said ho understood that at present there was no difficulty in the bus companies observing both the conditions of their licences and the provisions of the bj'-laws relating to stands. If the stand for eastern-bound buses were altered he understood it would not be practicable for the companies to comply with their licences.

"While the council has the clear right to regulate and fix stands for buses this power must be exercised subject to the rights and obligations created by existing licences," said Mr. Stanton. "I think that if tiio stand were now altered as proposed and the companies required to use the new stand, the council's action would bo liablei to be challenged and invalidated as being; unreasonable. I think the proper course for the council to follow would be to prescribe the new stand for buses and make it take effect as from the oxpiry of the present licences. It should also, I think, represent its views to the licensing authority when the licences come up for renewal, and endeavour to get that body to fix the routes and time-tables so as to allow the buses to use the new stand."

In submitting these reports the Town Planning Committee, which has been dealing with the bus terminus proposal, stated the matter would be further considered after a report being prepared by the city engineer had been received.