'BUS SERVICES.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 1349, 11 June 1907, Page 3

'BUS SERVICES.

COMPLAINTS OF IRREGULARITY.

Complaints of the occasional irregularity of suburban 'bus services were voiced at last night's meeting of the Borough Council. t The engineer, Mr A. H. Kendall, explained that it was not always advisable to force 'bus proprietors to adhere to time-table running.! When certain public functions were proceeding there would be no passengers on the regulation routes, while the 'buses' would be required on the special service. On such occasions he thought it, inadvisable to compel the proprietors to run over the regular routes and (as they put it) "carry wind." However, if the Council instructed him to lay informations against the proprietors for not adhering to the time-table he was quite prepared to do so. ■ Councillor Collis said it was impossible for the proprietors to say there were no passengers for the regular running unless they were there to see. He instanced a recent occasion on which 'buses had been taken off $he Breakwater running for some function. Fourteen persons were waiting for a 'bus to take them to the port. There was no 'bus. At least two of those persons had to catch steamers, and it cost them 7s 6d to do so. The question was whether such departures from the time-table should be allowed' without any notice being given to the public. Councillor Pikett asked whether there was any provision allowing a cessation of the Fitzroy 'bus services on Thursday afternoons.

The Town Clerk said there was no bylaw on the subject. A time-table was drawn up by the proprietors, and, if this was approved by the engineer, it should be adhered to.

Councillor Pikett moved that the engineer should be instructed that, if any alteration were' required by the 'bus proprietors, advertisements should be inserted in the newspapers regarding the alteration or cessation of the service.

At the Mayor's suggestion the matter was referred to the engineer for a report.