TRAMWAY BUSES.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18409, 16 June 1925, Page 9

TRAMWAY BUSES.

"AN ABSURD BY-LAW."

NO PASSENGERS ALLOWED TO

STAND.

Some discussion ensued at yesterday's meeting of the Tramway Board on the following 'clause in the report of the Works and Traffic Committee:— "The City Council has intimated that tbo city by-laws must be observed respecting the overloading of buses. Passengors must not be carried in excess of tho licensod number, which means that no standing passengers must be permitted. A notico to this effect has been put up in tho buses." "I think it is a most absurd by-law," remarked Mr John Wood. "The Board, when it got these buses, cut a gangway up tho centre and so lost five or six seats, and there is ample room for ton or twelve passengers to stand without inconveniencing anybody, and those ten or twelve passengers mean tho difference between making tho buses pay or not. The buses aro not paying too well now."

Mr D. Sykosj They arc not paying at all!

Mr Wood: Well, they aro not paying. If you aro going to restrict them, you are going to kill the busos. Tho chairman (Mr H. Peareo) remarked that the Board had no power in respect of the city by-laws. Mr Wood said that ho was awaro of that, but would Jt not bo worth wlalo waiting on tho City Council to seo if tbo by-law could be altered. Tho bylaw was utterly absurd. As many people as possiblo could get on a tramcar. , People who used tho buses were willing to stand if they could not get scats.

2Hr D. Sykes said that hn agreod with Mr Wood. If the same by-law affected the trams, thoy eomd not deal with the passengers at 'rush periods. Ho agroed that it was tho overcrowding that mado ittpossiblo to run the buses on busy trips. Mr E. W. White said that evidently the by-law was based on some presumption of danger, otherwiso it would not exist.

Mr Wood said that it existed simply because the municipal authorities did not understand. Mr A. 8. Taylor said that in London the double-docker buaoa were allowed to havo oight passengers standing inside; no passengors were allowed to stand on top. The chairman said that he would see the City Council's By-laws Committcu on tho matter.

The clauso in the committee's report was adopted. At a later stage the Board, had before it a, petition from passengers using tha Bryndwyr bus, asking for concession tickets for the 4d and 5d sections. They stated that they considered that the fares wore unduly high and a hardship oil regular customers.

Mr J. Wood said that ho did not know what tho returns wore from tho Bryndwyr bus, but he supposed that they had fallen off slnco tho 5d faro came into force—it was too high. It was decided to reply that the Board intended to review the question of issuing concession tickets on buses.