TRAMS AND BUSES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19688, 15 January 1926, Page 9

TRAMS AND BUSES.

OPPOSITION IN AUCKLAND. BOROUGH COUNCILS SUPPORT BUSES. (Frou Otra Own Correspondent.) AUCKLAND, January 14. The opinion that the motor services have filled the demand for transport which could never have been adequately met by the tramways was expressed by the members of the Newmarket Borough Council in considering the proposed control regulations. A series of objections to the clauses in the regulations was submitted by the Legal and Finance Committees. It was recommended that the regulations should be administered by the Traffic Control Board in order to secure impartial administration, as it would be against the public interest if the powers conferred_ upon the licensing authority were administered by the authority controlling the tramways. The committee further stated that the insurances suggested were excessive, and could be reduced to at least half the amount. Mr G. E. Smerdon said he considered it would be an outrageous imposition to approve of the regulations, as he considered the scheme had been formulated by those who were interested in the tramways. Motor buses filled an urgent need, and the City Council had been dilatory in catering for the transport of the residents of Newmarket. “We should join with the motor companies in securing the greatest freedom in the control of the ! he su'd. The Mayor (Mr S. Donaldson) said the parties interested should have some say in the appointment of the members of the controlling board. Under the proposed regulations it appeared that one motor bus company in Auckland would have to carry insurances totalling 1300,000 to cover its patrons. This seemed excessive. It was resolved that in the opinion of the council any effort to restrict competition between motor buses and trams along the tramway routes is an unwarranted interference with the rights of the public, and this clause should be struck out altogether, on the grounds of unreasonableness, inequity, and general opposition to the public interests. The draft regulations for the control of motor buses were considered by the Birkenhead Borough Council to be too drastic. It was resolved to support the objections put forward by the Auckland Motor Bus Proprietors’ Association, and to make representations to the Public Works Department to that effect.