MOTOR BUS REGULATIONS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19785, 10 May 1926, Page 10

MOTOR BUS REGULATIONS.

SUPPORTED BY DUNEDIN OWNERS. INTERESTS OF. PUBLIC SAFEGUARDED. General satisfaction with the main features of the motor omnibus regulations which were made public on Saturday was expressed by many Dunedin bus owners and drivers when interviewed after they had studied the position as outlined in the telegram forwarded from Wellington. There is no city or town in New Zealand more greatly affected by the new regulations than Dunedin. The fleets of corporation motor omnibuses and privately-owned vehicles which were placed on the road for the period of '.he Exhibition are proportionately far larger than in any other part of the country, and while many of these buses have been taken by their owners to other areas, where competition is not so keen, there is still a large number in the city and suburbs. The main features of the new regulations which will be enforced by the licensing authority to be appointed by the Minister are as follows: Before the authority shall issue a license he shall satisfy himself that the road over which the bus will travel is in a suitable condition, and that there are not sufficient other facilities for the conveyance of passengers. Whenever a motor bus travels on a route served by a tramway system, the fare shall be at least 2d more than that of the tram between any points traversed by the tram. It will be necessary for all bus owners to insure at the rate of £3500 for a seven-passenger bus, increasing the amount by £SOO for every passenger over seven. “Of course, the matter must be considered from two angles,” said one ownerdriver who was interviewed on Saturday. “There are, at any rate in Dunedin, two classes of motor bus—those which run regular services and those which ply for hire here, there, and everywhere, as often as not competing against the regular services organised by the City Corporation. “So far as the first class is concerned, I am sure they will be in complete agreement with the Government method of dealing with the situation after June 10. The regulations are to their advantage, for the licensing authority will not only have as its duty the protection Of tramway systems and other corporation institutions, but will have to protect all services now in operation. The clause relating to insurance has come as a surprise, and is the chief hurdle, but all transport people in a large way should not have any difficulty providing the premium is fixed on a satisfactory basis, and the rate is not too high. ’ “In the case of tho owners of single buses who have no fixed service to maintain and are in only a small way, the position is somewhat different. To begin with there is the matter of the minimum fare over tram routes. Tho addition of the extra 2d is certainly an effective safeguard for the tramway system, but so far as Dunedin is concerned, it will have the effect of reducing the efficiency of the service offered to the public, especially at abnormal times. Buses will have to give place to trams whenever trams are available, with tho result that they will go elsewhere and the existing services of the corporation will receive no assistance at rush times. “It is the insurance, however, that will he the great difficulty to be surmounted by the private bus owners. At the present time the average insurance, in my opinion, is a-bout £IOOO for each bus, irrespective of size. The average capacity of each bus in Dunedin may be set down at 16 passengers, and each owner’s insurance will therefore be £BOOO for passenger liability alone —a- heavy load for a man with small capital to bear. I quite realise that the public must be safeguarded, .but we are of the opinion that this rate is much too high. I think that the other clauses will be a help to all motor omnibus owners. A great deal will .depend on the licensing authority for it will obviously have wide discretionary powers, and the method of administration will be the salient feature of tho whole situation after June 10.” „ . . One of the executive officers in a large city omnibus company, when asked for his opinion on th.e new regulations, observed that the time had not really arrived to review the situation, for tho reason that tho full and detailed regulations were not yet available. “There are several „ important points that are not yet clear he said. “Nothing has yet been settled as to the insurance rates—a very im point when it is considered that such large sums are involved It satisfactory rates cannot bo arranged, it s possible that the private bus owners and companies will co-operate and carry their own insurance. The speaker also stressed, at the outlet, the point that the regulations were simply an experiment, and would be altered or withdrawn if they proved unsatisfactory In the first place, it was the object of the conference in Wellington, where the matters were discussed and .the proposals and counter-proposals considered, to safeguard existing tramway and corporation services in every possible way. He was m complete agreement with every detail of " a y , m which this had been carried out. lake the question of fares,” he said. “All over the world it is recognised that the transport of the people is a municipal job. Before the additional 2d was fixed, careful inquiries were made, and it was found that in Australia, where such regulations have been in force for some lime, and in America and in England, the increased fare for buses on tramway routes is never less than M. In every part of the world corporations have reduced their fares to a minimum, and give a complete service over good paying routes, as well as poorer routes. The payable routes have to balance tho others, and it is only fair that tho trams running on these routes should not have to compete against cut-throat competition. The corporation maintain the roads, and no pirate bus should Have the benefit of the maintenance and yet bo able to rob the trams of their passengers. . “So far as the insurance is concerned, 1 feel that the public must be safeguarded and that the rate is not too high. The railways have the Government behind them, the corporation tramway services have the municipality behind them, and it is ftbso* lately necessary that buses should have sufficient insurance to offer the public reasonable recompense in case of accident. Arrangements will be made so that the rates will be within reason, and if, after that, any owner cannot pay, ha has no right to be on the road. “The most vital thing about the regulations is that the licensing authority must be out to-protect the tramway systems, and, where there are no tramway systems, the services already in operation. We take tho regulations to mean that no existing services will he interfered with, but they will be protected against pirates. In Australia, where similar regulations have been in force for some time, it. is the custom to leave unmolested all existing services. Wo take it that tho same rule will be observed here, and that no further licenses will be granted for any route or service. If added facilities become necessary, then the existing services should have the option of putting on extra buses.”

COMMENT IN AUCKLAND. THE REGULATIONS APPROVED. (Fbok Our Own Correspondent.! AUCKLAND, May 9. In expressing his view's regarding the new regulations affecting motor buses Mr A. E. Ford, manager of the Auckland tramways, said that the regulations impressed him as following on lines of those that had been enacted in the United States and Great Britain. Describing the position in the • United States, Mr Ford said that where most of the services were owned and had been developed under private ownership an appeal had been made to various authorities to obtain adequate and reasonable regulations under which they could operate in the interests of the community It was found that open competition which seemed to offer immediate benefits to the community proved to be at the expense of very serious future loesses,” Mr Ford said. “ This was recognised by various authorities, and to-day no fewer than 39 out of the 48 States have enacted regulations which protect the community interests and give operating companies a reasonable opportunity of maintaining good and reliable services and developing on sound financial lines, provided they give community services that arc adequate for its needs. “If you give an efficient service you have a right to be protected,” continued Mr Ford, “ and that is the rule which has been successfully followed in America

during the last eight or 10 years in the interests of public safety, economy of street space, and the avoidance of the wasteful usage of the road. It is not the practice in' the United States to permit competition on one route when once the fares and time-tables have been approved. The United States lays great emphasis on the fact that no second public utility shall be allowed unless there is a strong demand for it in the interests of public convenience and necessity.”