MOTOR BUSES

Southland Times, Issue 20014, 30 October 1926, Page 8

MOTOR BUSES

COMPETITION WITH RAILWAYS. DEPARTMENT DISSATISFIED. (Per United Press Association.) Wellington, October 29. The Railway Board wrote to the City Council as the licensing body under the recent Act requesting it to refuse licenses for motor buses competing with the Hutt railway on the ground that an adequate service already existed. ’Die by-laws committee did not agree, as many portions of the Hutt and Petone towns were several miles from the railway line and it was considered the buses were maintaining a much better time-table. A point was made of the fact that the letter was only received on Wednesday and this was the first known of any dissatisfaction on the part of the Department. It was stated that the city councils had got the Act passed to protect themselves and it was only logical that the Government should want to do the same to which it was retorted that no mention of railways was made in the Act and the Government should have looked after itself. It was admitted the branch line through Hutt Valley might make a difference and alter the position to some extent but meanwhile it was considered buses catered for a large number of people not served by the railway and the council adopted the committee’s report licensing existing buses but refusing fresh applications.