A TRAMWAY APPEAL AGAINST BUS COMPETITION.
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IN regard to the appeal of the Muniei eipal Tramways Association for prohibiting bus competition on tram routes, Mr. Beckett, secretary of the Association, informs municipal authorities that the conference of municipal tramways managers was greatly impressed with the progressive competition of what has been described as a pirate system of passenger transport, untrammelled by many of the obligations imposed upon municipal tramways.
It was urged at the conference that tho present financial position of municipal tramways demands the most earnest and serious consideration. TbeiTramways (Temporary Increase of Charges) Act, 1920, was passed at the instance of the Tramways National Council, in order to enable tramways undertakings to increase their fares and to make a serious effort to become self-supporting, a principle
which has been affirmed unanimously by the National Council. It is agreed that tramways should not be subsidized by local taxation, and yet, in spite of the Act referred to, 33 municipal tramways authorities—out of a total of 93 members of this association—have found themselves compelled to include in the local rates for the current year an aggregate sum of £516,361, involving local rates iarying from 0.68d. to 19.7d, in the £ The average local rates for the current year to meet tramways losses in the 33 cases referred to is 5.36d. in the £.
With regard to motorbuses operated by local authorities, these are run under the powers conferred by local acts, anti very substantial sums have been paid to other authorities for road adaptation, and prior to the Roads Acts, 1920, they were subject: to a mileage charge for road maintenance. It is frequently the case that on the very roads for which the special sanction of Parliament has been obtained to operate motorbuses, subject in many cases to onerous conditions, privately owned motorbuses come along at times most favourable to themselves, and carry on a wasteful and destructive competition, -which adversely affects the finances of •municipal tramways.
The Association ventures to ask local authorities to support the request that competition with municipal tramways and municipally operated motorbuses should besubjected to statutory regulations in the public interest.
The association has called the attention of the Minister of Transport to the wasteful and financially destructive competition which now exists in many areas, and has urged upon him the necessity for taking steps to protect municipal interests in this matter.