TRANSPORT CHARGES

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 77, Issue 6567, 17 September 1948, Page 5

TRANSPORT CHARGES

GOVERNMENT’S PROPOSALS CONSIDERED

MORE EFFECTIVE METHOD URGED A very important feature of the Transport Law Amendment Bill now before Parliament is the machinery proposed by the Government to fix, review or alter charges for the carriage of passengers on ail buses, service cars, taxis and harbour ferry services and for the carriage of goods on all road transport services. So far as the charges for goods are concerned the proposed machinery is to replace the present Goods Service Charges Tribunal. In a statement to the Parliamentary Committee now hearing representations from interested parties, the N.Z. Carriers’ Federation and the am.Z. Road Transport Alliance who represent 'the carriers for hire or reward of all goods in cities, towns and rural areas, objected to the proposals in the Bill which they were convinced did not provide for a practical rates fixing machinery and would not work satisfactorily. The organisations stated .that transport rating involves questions of practical facts, expert accountancy, general economics and judicial decision as essential requirements which the proposals in the Bill fell far short of meeting. The existing tribunal had providled these outstanding lessons which should be followed and improved upon as the experience had proved necessary. The Transport Charges Committee as now proposed by the Government would consist of three persons of no particular qualification, to be appointed by the Minister of Transport to fix or review the charges for the carriage of passengers or goods, with the right of appeal to a Judge alone. The organisations representing the industry recommended amending the Bill to provide for a statutory Rates Authority working with a committee of three qualified accountants, with an appeal to a tribunal of including a Judge as the chairman. The light of nomination of their representatives on both the Accountant’s Committee and the tribunal was asked for both users and the industry. The organisations pointed out that earlier proposals circulated by the Minister of Transport to interested parties provided for almost identical machinery as they now advocated, similar to the existing tribunal and its operational machinery which had proved reasonably satisfactory, and which moreover had been agreed upon after discussion and negotiation with the Transport Department’s officials over the last two years. The carriers’ organisations stressed the fact that their proposals would provide for fair impartial representation of both the users of transport and the industry to combine in all stages of the necessary investigations and decisions, which they considered absolutely essential to ensure satisfactory rates fixing machinery and of which .the proposals in the 3ill deprived them.