JOINT TRANSPORT BOARD FOR HEIGHLEY.
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AT the end of the month HeighIcy Cor poration is to abandon trolley-bus operation, having entered into an agreement with the West Yorkshire Road Car Co., Ltd., for the joint working of services in the Heighley district. flaring September the municipality will run motorbuses in place of the trolley-buses, and from October let the system will be operated jointly.
A meeting of the town council was held last Thursday to consider minutes passed at a meeting of the tramways committee on August 12th. At the latter meeting it was decided to apply to the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners for permission to run buses on the ratites at piesent covered by trolley vehicles, and, subject to the licences being granted, the trolley-bus undertaking should be discarded as from the date of the commencement of motorbus operation. It was also recommended that, as the value of the assets of the West Yorkshire concern exceeded that of the corporation's assets, the council should purchase a double-deck his costing £1,338 from the West Yorkshire concern, so as to equalize the assets of the two parties.
It was further advocated that the Mayor (Alderman Cryer), Alderman A. Smith and Mr. X. S. Binns be appointed representative members of the corporation on the board of directors of the Heighley-West Yorkshire Services, Ltd., to December 31st this year, and that Messrs. Harrison, McNulty and Rhodes be appointed alternate directors.
A preliminary announcetnent of this arrangement appeared in our issue dated August and. It is expected that the new system will result in a substantial profit.
40,000 SUPPORTERS OF MACSHANE'S JOIN PROTEST.
WELL over 40,000 people in the 13ootle area have signed a petition, which has been dispatched to the Minister of Transport, protesting against the Minister's deeisien to revoke the licences of MacShanels Motors, Ltd., in favour of Ribble Motor Services, Ltd.• • The town's meeting, held at Bootle, and mentioned in last weeks issue, proved to be a heated one, addresses being made by members of Bootle:Town Council and• Litherland 'Urban District Council. A deputation was appointed to meet the Minister -of Transport, whose action in revoking MaeShane's licences met with trenchant criticism.
The Minister has, however, refused to see the deputation.
NEWCASTLE-LONDON OPERATORS DISCUSS CO-ORDINATION.
EARLY next month a meeting is to be held of operators on the NewcastleLondon route to arrange for co-ordination of working during the winter months. Already two meetings have been held to discuss the matter, but no decision has been reached in connection with the Metropolitan Traffic Commissioner's suggestions for reduced services during the winter.
It is anticipated that at the September meeting definite proposals will be available for subsequent consideration by the Commissioners. The licences held by the operators have been renewed by the Northern Commissioners and are valid until September 30th, after which date the question of winter services will be considered.
E.M. BUS ACQUISITION.
IT is understood that the Ebor Bus Co., Ltd., Stanley Road, Mansfield, has acquired the undertaking of Messrs. Hurstbons..e. and Wardle, who operate the Blue Star Bus Service between Mansfield and Pleasley, etc. The licences in the East Midland and Yorkshire areas have been transferred.
UNEMPLOYMENT FOLLOWS COMMISSIONERS' DECISIONS. AT a recent meeting, Featherstone Urban District Council decided to forward a strong protest to the Minister of Transport against the actions of the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners in reducing bus services and increasing fares by as much as 100 per cent, in some cases.
The headquarters of J. Bullock and Sons (1928), Ltd., are in the town, and this company is, with the exception of the collieries, the largest ratepayer. The concern has recently discharged 25 drivers and conductors, and will shortly have to dismiss 50 more, as a result of the Commissioners' decisions.
1 CONTRACT FARES TO STAND, HE Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners state in Gazette 60 that, pending the r eipt and the consideration of the rep rt from the Regional Fares Committ e, on the question of contract-ticket rtes, they have decided that existing r tes shall remain unaltered. ANOTHER S.M.T. MERGER. E understand that the Scottish Motor Traction Co., Ltd., has taken over the interests of Messrs. Liddell tethers, Auchinleck. It will be reembered that the S.M.T. has, during c past few months, taken over a number of businesses, and the latest merger gives the company the monopoly of Services in the Cumnock district. ANOTHER S.M.T. MERGER. E understand that the Scottish Motor Traction Co., Ltd., has taken over the interests of Messrs. Liddell tethers, Auchinleck. It will be reembered that the S.M.T. has, during c past few months, taken over a number of businesses, and the latest merger gives the company the monopoly of Services in the Cumnock district. RESULT OF PROPOSED BUS. STATION CONDITION.
Somv time ago Braintree Urban Dis'" trict Council applied to the Eastern Traffic Commissioners to make it a licence condition that all services centring ou, or passing through, the town should use the new municipal bus station. The resnIt of this applicatioa has now been announced.
Express carriages picking up and setting down passengers in Braintree must rise the station, as must stage carriages, unless operators are able to provide suitable and adequate alternative accommodation. The stage-carriage services operated, on market days, into the centre of the town, must work from the station, and so must excursions and tours.
An exception is made in the ease of Messrs. Hicks Brothers, Felstead, who strongly opposed the council's application. This firm are to be allowed to use their own premises in Braintree, provided that the Commissioners remain satisfied that the accommodation is suitable and adequate. An exception is also made in the case of Mr. Harrison, whose service on market days terminates about a mile from the centre of the town.
The Commissioners state that they are not aware -of any power enabling them to compel an operator to vacate his own premises, if these be suitable, and rise a station.
Before the Commissioners make the use of the station .a licence condition, Braintree Urban District Council will be reqtdredto give further consideration to the charges. Operators of express services merely picking up and setting down passengers at the station must not he charged.
BADGES MUST BE CONSPICUOUS.
DRIVERS and conductors are re
minded that their badges must be worn in a conspicuous position, by five recent cases at St. Ives where bus operatives were prosecuted for contravening this regulation. On the suggestion of the police superintendent, convictions were not recorded.
NEW NOTTINGHAM GARAGE FOR 145 BUSES.
THE erection of a large new garage has been commenced by the Trent Motor Traction Co., Ltd., at Not tingham. When • completed, it will accommodate 145 buses, being 475 ft. long and 85 ft. wide. There will be four longitudinal islands carrying petrol pumps drawing their supplies from underground tanks, each with a capacity of 5,000 gallons. The pits have inter-communicating passages.
Mr. Arthur Ashton, P.R.I.B.A., of Leamington Spa, who is responsible for the design of the building, has designed many garage. layouts for the Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Co., Ltd.
TOUR FARES AGREED.
IN Gazette 70 of the Southern Traffic Commissioners is published a list of agreed fares submitted to the Conunissioners following conferences of operators. Subject to the consideration of objections, the Commissioners propose to adopt these fare scales and to apply them to all groups of excursions and tours starting from Buckland, Newton, Cerne Abbas, Horst (Moreton), Litton Cheney, Broadmayne and Puddletown. AUTOCAR WINS CASE: REDCAR CO. LODGES APPEAL ON August 12th, the South-Eastern Traffic Commissioners, at the end of a three-day's sitting at the Town Hall, Tunbridge Wells, decided to suspend the licences for two services operated by Redcar Services, Ltd., Tunbridge Wells.
As reported in last week's issue, Antocar Services, Ltd., complained of irregular running by the Redear concern, and the' Commissioners have decided that the Redear routes from Sevenoaks to Ucktield and from Tonbridge to Mayfield and Heathfield shall he operated by the Autocar Company during the period of suspension, which is from midnight to-day (August 23rd) to midnight, August 30th. .
Redear Services, Ltd., has lodged notice of appeal against the suspension, which affects two of its best routes, and directly the decision was announced the company bad posters printed explaining the exact position to the public. On the following day these posters were displayed on every Redcar bus.
NEW BOOKING DEVELOPMENT.
THROUGH an arrangement between . London Coastal Coaches Ltd., Buckingham Palace Road, S.W.1, and the Southern Railway Co., passengers can now. book from London to any part of the Isle of Wight, travelling by Southdown coach to Southsea or Ports-. mouth and thence by Southern Railway steamer and train.
TROLLEY-BUSES FOR TRAMS.
IT is intended by the Llanelly District
Traction CO., Ltd., to complete the substitution of trolley-buses for trams by Deoember next. The work is well in band. The company is to take advantage of its Parliamentary powers considerably to increase its operations.
RESTRICTIONS IN SCARBOROUGH.
THE attention of the watch committee of Scarborough Corporation has been drawn to the licence conditions which prohibit coach proprietors from picking up and setting down passengers in various .parts of the town, in cases where they have booked to travel on organized tours. The committee has, however, taken no action.
WELSH BUS RESULTS.
LAST year Gellygaer Urban District Council's buses ran at a profit of £708. Members consider that the undertaking has new " turned the corner."
MacSHANE'S EMPLOYEES LOYAL.
EMPLOYEES of MacShane's Motors, Ltd., have, we understand, decided to remain loyal to their company, despite the fact that Ribble Motors Services, Ltd., is prepared to consider applications by them for work. (See paragraph on previous page.) L.G.O.C. WAGE BALLOT.
LAST Friday a ballot took place
amongst employees of the London General Omnibus Co., Ltd., to ascertain whether they will accept the proposed new agreements on wages and working conditions, and whether there shall be a reduced guaranteed week for Sparc men in order to retain • the seasonal men in service.
For some time negotiations have B46
been in progress between the L.G.O. Co., Ltd., and the Transport and General Workers' Union. A meeting of the executive council of the union was arranged to take place yesterday to consider the figures for and against the acceptance of the proposals, which include reductions of 1s. tid. in the weekly wages of drivers and 1s. in the case of conductors.
HEREFORD FIXES BUS STOPS.
HEREFORD Watch Committee has
been in communcation with the West Midland Traffic Commissioners with regard to fixing places where public setvice vehicles may stop to pick up and set down passengers. It recommends that St. Peter's Square, Commercial Square and Nigh Town, near the Old House, be used for this purpose, with a time limit of five minutes.
The Commissioners have suggested that all services should be treated alike, and the committee recommends accordingly.
TWO NEW IRISH COMPANIES.
TWO new private bus companies have
been registered in Ireland. One is the Independent Bus Service, Ltd., of Belfast, with a capital of £5,000 in £1 shares and directed by Mr. H. Sleator and Mr. Francis Robinson. The other concern, the De Luxe Omnibus Service, Ltd., has a capital of £1,000 in £1 shares and its headquarters are at Dublin.
NEW DEVON SERVICES?
THE Devon General Omnibus and
Touring Co., Ltd., has been asked to discuss with the watch committee of Paignton Corporation the question of inaugurating new services.
At the next meeting of the South Devon Area Advisory Committee (Public Services Vehicles) it is proposed to discuss with the Devon General concern the question of reducing some of the fares on the Paignton-Brixham service. 10s. FINE AFTER HIGH COURT APPEAL AT Truro City Police Court, on Mon day, August 15th, the magistrates had before them. the case, remitted from the King's Bench Division with instructions to convict, in which Mr. Alfred Richards, a coach and taxi-cab proPrietor, Truro, was charged with having permitted a stage carriage to be used without a road-service licence.
The case came before the local magistrates on March 14th last, when the police prosecuted Mr. Richards, on the instructions of the 'Western Traffic Commissioners, for an offence concerned with a service relating to football matches, but the case was dismissed.
An appeal, reported in our issue -dated July 19th, was heard on July 13th in the King's Bench Division, when the judgment of the local court was reversed. Mr. Richards, was ordered to pay the costs of the appeal. On August 15th Mr. Richards was fined 10s. and ordered to pay the costs of the original hearing.
S.M.T. CAPITAL INCREASE.
THE extraordinary general meeting of
shareholders of the Scottish Motor Traction Co., Ltd., held on August 15th, and referred to in last week's issue, unanimously agreed to an increase in capital to £1,875,00,0 by the creation of 75,000 new ordinary £1 shares.
BELFAST TO EXTEND SERVICES?
THE Belfst municipal authority is considering extending its transport undertaking by lengthening some of the existing routes and inaugurating new cross-city routes not served by tramcars. This action has been made necessary by the development of the city and the growth of the suburbs.
WORKMEN'S TICKETS TO BE EXTENDED.
IN September the North-Western
Traffic Commissioners will consider an application by Rawtenstall Corporation for the extension of the period for the issue of workmen's tickets. The London, Midland and Scottish Railway Co. has objected.
FUTURE OF BOLTON'S TRANSPORT.
A SPECIAL committee of Bolton. Cor poration has considered the future policy a the tramways committee with regard to the system of passenger transport. The borough engineer has submitted a statement showing the estimated cost of relaying tram tracks from April 1st, 1932, to March 31st, 1938, and is to report upon the estimated life of the tracks.
Arrangements are being made for an interview between municipal officials and representatives of Bury Corporation's tramways committee with regard to the latter's proposals for the future system of passenger transport on its Bury Road route between Bury and the borough boundary. An interview is being arranged between the Bolton officials and representatives of the South Lancashire Transport Co. on the company's proposals for the future transport system from Leigh to the borough boundary.
A visit is to be made to various towns where trolley-buses are.operated.
mut-BELLE MOTORS CHANGES HANDS.
A CHANGE in the directorate of Blue
Belle Motors, Ltd., hag just taken place, the whole of the share capital having, we understand, been acquired by Mr. R. Toms. We are informed that G. Scammell and Nephew, Ltd., has no further interest in the business, and that Messrs. Hood Beers, Scott and England have resigned.
Mr. TOMS has for many years been connected with the manufActure and operation of commercial vehicles. He was a pioneer of the scheme for coach stations, having taken an active interest in the erection and development of the London Terminal Coach Station, iincl haling been the original lessee of the site upon which the new London Coastal Station, in Buckingham Palace Road, has been built. The company, having disposed of its East Grinstead service to Green Line Coaches, Ltd., proposes to specialize exclusively in its coastal services and private hire from headquarters at the London Terminal Coach Station, Clapham Road. No change in the management or personnel has been effected.
SMALL OWNERS APPEAL.
LAST Tuesday Mr. B. R. Roberts con
ducted an appeal on behalf of nine small coach operators of Brighton -against the imposition of the Brighton "0" conditions by the South-Eastern Traffic Commissioners. It was contended that the present system a allocating stands on the sea front was unfair to small operators, and that a scheme to ensure that every proprietor would have one or more coaches on the rfrent in the mornings was rejected.
IMPORTANT MERGER RUMOURS DENIED.
RUMOURS have been circulating that an amalgamation is proposed between the Western Welsh Omnibus Co., Ltd., the Southern National Omnibus Co., Ltd., the Western National Omnibus Co., Ltd., and the Bristol Tramways and Carriage Co., Ltd. At the time of closing for press, this has been denied by the Western Welsh concern and the National Omnibus and Transport Co., Ltd.
PROTECTION FOR TRAMS? IT is reported that Southend Toven
Council has ratified an agreement between the corporation and the local bus companies, the effect being that, with the Eastern Traffic Commissioners' approval, protection will be given to the municipal tramways.