BUS SERVICES.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19176, 6 December 1927, Page 16

BUS SERVICES.

TRAMWAY BOARD'S APPLICATIONS.

EXTRA BUS ON WAINOM ROAD

Last nighfc the City Council, sitting as the Licensing Authority for No. 10 Motor-Omnibus District, dealt with applications from the Christchurch Tramway Board and the Inter-City Motor Service, Ltd. .

The Inter-City Motor Service, Ltd., applied to be allowed to run two extra buses between Cathedral square and North Beach. The Tramway Board applied to be allowed to establish an omnibus service between North Beach and Christchurch. via Wainoni road, and to extend the existing service between Burwood and Park road to North Beach. Regarding this application, the Heathcot© County Council wrote drawing attention to the conditions under which the companv would be allowed to run such a service. The letter stated: "Wainoni road is closed to traffic under Section 11 of the Public Works Act, 1910. This road is not fit to carry heavy traffic, but Mr Bussell (ol tho Inter-City Motor Service, Ltd.) has been granted special permission to run along this road, provided he makes two stops within tho county." The letter also stated that the Council strongly objected to any other buses being granted permission to run on the road, either for through traffic or to stop to pick up passengers, as it would only lead to speeding between tho different services. The County Council strongly objected to any applications from opposition buses being granted. Mr Hutchison, appearing on behalf of the Tramway Board, asked leavo to speak. He had only that minute received from the Tramway Board instructions to request that all applications should be held over for a fortnight. "May I proceed on that point?" asked Mr Hutchison. The Mayor: I don't know that you c:iH.

Mr Hutchison said that on December 2nd the' parties had met the Council's sub-committee, and no decision was arrived at. The matter was considered by the Tramway Board and no decision had been reached. The matter was a very complex and difficult one, and ho asked that the decision be therefore held over. Any prejudice against Mr Bussell,' of the Inter-City Service, through sucli an adjournment, would be nothing to the serious position that would arise if the trouble could not be settled. If the Council decided to allow Mr Bussell to put two more buses on the route, that would be another spoke in the- wheel. Cr. E. It. McCombs moved that the matter be held over. Cr. M. E. Lyons asked whether such a step was Mr Bussell's wish. Mr Hutchison: No; if Mr Thomas were here he might object. An Invidious Position. The Mayor considered that tho Tramway Board had placed the Council, as licensing authority, in a rather invidious position. The Council had done everything possible to meet the Tramway and he had personally, on Ins own responsibility, taken steps to approach the Board with a view to a settlement bekig reached. Moreover, he had called the Council together for a confidential discussion, and the Tramway Board had reported to them not twenty minutes earlier that they would go on with the applications. As a result, they had come to a decision, and were now asked at two minutes' notice to delay proceedings. It was fair neither to'him nor to Mr Bussell. Mr Hutchison asked leave to amend the Board's request so that only the Board's application to run a bus on Wainoni road should be held over.

The Mayor: That's all right. Cr. A. W. Beaven at this stage seconded Cr. McCombs'. motion. The Mayor said that ho did not see how the Council could deal with the motion. He ruled that the matter of adjournment was not before the Council. , Cr. McCombs: I challenge your ruling. " • The Mayor: You can move personally. of course.

.Cr. McCombs: And on my own initiative.

The Mayor then moved that the Inter-City Service be allowed to run one extra bus on Wainoni road. This motion was seconded. Or. McCombs then moved as an amendment that the whole decision •should be held over indefinitely. Cr. R. M. Macfarlane supported the motion.

Cr J. W. Beanland, supporting the amendment, said that the position was a peculiar one, but if the holding over of the matter would help negotiations he would be in favour of that step. The Mayor remarked that it was unfortunate that, as a'result of the Board's late application, the matter had to be taken in the presence of the Press. He could assure Councillors that if matters were finally settled, tho InterCity's extra bus would never be run. Or. McCombs: On what authority? The Mayor: I will go so far as to say that if negotiations are successful, I am quit© sure the extra bus will never be put on the road. Crs. J. W. Roberts and G. Manning supported the Mayor's motion. The amendment was defeated on a division, Crs. McCombs, Herbort, and Beanland voting for it. The Mayor's motion that one extra bus be allowed tho Inter-City Service was then carried. The Tramway Board's application to extend its existing service to Burwood, Park lane, and North Beach was approved, and the Board's other application held over. New Brighton Racecourse. The By-laws Committee reported as follows: — The Committee has been approached regarding tho running of omnibuses from Cathedral square to the New Racecourse on the loth and 17th inst., in connexion with the New Brighton races. The Tramwav Board has advised the New Brighton Trotting Club that the oars will run on the No. 5 route as far as tho junction of Park road and Bowhill road, but this sen-ice will be insufficient, although tho Board will run all its spare omnibuses between Park road and the entrance to the raoecourse. There is an omnibus service connecting with tho tram at Burwood, but this will be insufficient to accommodate people wanting to go to the racecourse. The Tramway Boara was asked if the Burwood line could be used for the two days, but it advises that this line cannot be used beyond Burwood. Under the circumstances the Committee recommends that the Chief Traffic Inspector be authorised to issue permits to proprietors of omnibuses already licensed to ply for hire to run between Cathedral square and the racecourse provided their usual time-table is not interfered with and also subject to the condition that the fare must be aver 2s each way, otherwise the omnibuses would come under the Motor Omnibus Traffic Act. Tho "Waimairi County Council docs not offer any objection to this proposal provided the omnibuses travel to and from 'the racecourse by the same route as the No. -10 tram traversed from the City boundary to the racecourse. Tho route from Cathedral square to the City, boundary to be via Colombo street, Armagh street. Stanmore road, North Avon road, and North Parade; returning via North Parade, North Avon road, Stanmore road, Armagh street, Manchester street, Worcester street, to Cathedral square. The report was adopted.