ANOTHER BOARD!

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18264, 6 December 1933, Page 5

ANOTHER BOARD!

CONTROL OF TRANSPORT ('O-ORDINATION SOHEME

WIDE POWERS PROPOSED ( Parliamentary Report or.) WELLINGTON, this day. A bill to constitute a Transport. Coordination Board in substitution of the present Appeal Board, and having much wider powers, was introduced by Governor’s Message in the House last night. Its main principles were explained b\ the Minister of Transport, the Rt. lion. J. G. Coates, who slated that- the new authority would not only deal with appeals under the Transport- Act, but would have power to make recommendations to the Government as to its views on general questions of transport. The general tendency in other countries was to give authority to a body of this kind to deal with till forms of transport. The Government did not propose to go so far as that, but lo give power to the Transport Co-ordination Board to make recommendations dealing with varying phases of the general development of transport, and what, in its opinion, would be necessary improvements in control which the Government would have to consider for legislative enactment. Mr E. H. Howard (Lab., Christchurch South): Another board? Mr Coates: No, it replaces the Appeal Board, with wider powers. lie added that so far as the central licensing authority was concerned the bill proposed that one person would be appointed. | Mr R. McKoen (Lab., Wellington South): And eliminate local authorities? SPADE WORK DONE Mr Coates: No; the general tendency will be that existing licensing authorities, except the central authority, will carry -out the licensing of transport in their districts. Local licensing .authorities will continue to function, but during the last feuyears there has been a development of transport, linking up the whole country. The central licensing authority will continue to function, but one man can do the work because all the spade work lias been accomplished. An appeal against his decision will be made to the Co-ordination Board, which will be the Appeal Board. The new board, explained Mr Coates, would comprise three members, as in the case of the present Appeal Board, but the central licensing authority, instead of comprising three persons, would have its functions carried out bv one individual.

The main purpose of the bill is to appoint an impartial board to make recommendations to the Government for tho consideration of Parliament of coordination in all transport facilities. • The Dill requires that this board shall report annually to 'Parliament, the report to include all recommendations made by il to the Government during the year.

FUNCTIONS OF THE BOARD Tho functions of the board arc to hold inquiries and investigations, cither of its own initiative or at the request of the Government, for the purpose of securing an improvement in co-ordination and development of all means of transport. It will also be authorised to hear and determine appeals from the decisions of existing district transport licensing authorities, or ,a central authority.

The board will have all the powers of a. commission, anil may delegate any powers of inquiry to any persons, this provision being included to enable it to utilise the services of exports. Under the existing legislation, two iriemIbors of the Appeal Board arc nominated by affected interests, and, consequently, .a body so composed might | have difficulty in arriving at decisions affecting the wider issues that now -constitute the functions of the now body. On the other hand, the new body can, while carrying out its duties relating to co-ordination, still perform the functions of an appeal board. It is believed by the Government that these latter duties are consistent with the new functions vested in tho Transport Co-ordination Board.

Under the existing legislation, the Central Licensing Authority deals with road services running in more than one district. The procedure for dealing with these licenses is to be modified, according to the bill, to the extent that consideration will not bo that of district boundaries, but rather the relationship of different passenger services to each other. Services running exclusively in any one district will continue to be dealt with by the district licensing authority, unless delegated to the central authority. Services which cross a district boundary may lie placed under the jurisdiction of any particular district authority regarded as being appropriate for the purpose by the Commissioner of Transport, providing they have not been delegated to the central authority. The wholo of the existing rights of interested parties in relation to licenses anil appeals are not to be disturbed. £SO PENALTY PROPOSED Further provisions set out that decisions of tho Transport Co-ordination Board, arising out of appeals, will stand for six months, unless the board consents to a fresh application being made on the grounds that conditions have changed materially. Under tho existing Act there is no provision for the -transfer of licenses, but it is proposed that licensing authorities may grant transfers by giving seven days’ notice to all interested parties. A now machinery provision is that licensing authorities may delegate to any person their power to grant temporary licenses. To meet the peculiar requirements of some country districts, there is authority for the carriage Of fare-paying passengers on vehicles licensed to carry goods. For the offence of booking passengers, or goods for unlicensed services, a maximum penalty of £SO is proposed. Power is contained for the declaration of services to be passenger or goods services within Ihe meaning of tli(‘ Act where the Governor-General is satisfied that these services are being regularly carried on.