AGAIN REFUSED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27447, 21 July 1950, Page 8

AGAIN REFUSED

Luxury Bus Licence

SOUTH ISLAND SERVICE

PA CHRISTCHURCH, July 20. The application by Victor Leonard Neate (Mr L. F. Moller) for a continuous passenger service licence for a luxury bus between Christchurch and Invercargill, heard by the No. 3 Transport Licensing Authority, Mr C. L. Bishop, on April 19, was refused in a reserved decision given by the authority today. The authority said that he was bound by the decision of the Transport Appeal Authority (Judge Archer). He considered that the position in so far as the applicant was concerned had not materially changed since the previous hearing and at the time the appeal was decided. A similar application was heard in Christchurch in April, 1949, and on a reserved decision the application was granted. The decision granting the application was the subject of an appeal by the New Zealand Government Railways Department, and the decision of the Appeal Authority reversed that given by the No. 3 Authority and refused a licence.

“With the institution of a daylight limited, the position of the Railways Department in opposing the application was much stronger than it was at the earlier hearing,” said the authority in his decision today. The evidence of the applicant in endeavouring to establish the necessity or desirability was similar to, and possibly stronger than, the evidence at the earlier hearing, but the position of the department had been materially strengthened. The applicant had endeavoured to show that the institution of the daylight limited was not in the public interest and that it was an uneconomic venture. The department submitted statistics to show that the operation of that service was an economic proposition. “ On the other hand, the department did not submit figures to show how the other express trains had been affected by the running of the daylight limited,” said the authority. “Although I am of opinion that the running of the daylight has adversely affected other express trains, I consider that it is a matter of railway policy and does not come within my province for consideration.” he said. Night Service Refused

An application by Gordon Kitchener Prisk, of Wellington, for permission to operate an overnight bus service between Christchurch and Dunedin was also refused in a reserved decision given by the authority. He said he considered that the proposed service would seriously affect the revenue of the Railways Department. For that reason, and in view of the economic position of the department, it would not be in the public interest generally to introduce further competition. “No. doubt the department will give consideration to the provision of a night service as and when it can be provided as an economic unit.” he said.