BUS SERVICES.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20489, 7 March 1932, Page 13

BUS SERVICES.

| LICENSES REFUSED. COMPANY PROPRIETORS INDIGNANT. The decision of the Central Transport Licensing Committee to forbid the running of omnibuses to the Motukarara races on Saturday came as an unwelcome surprise to those proprietors who had already arranged to run their usual services from the City. Under the provisions of the new Transport Act, permission must be obtained from tho Committee to run a special bus service, and, despite the fact that some of the applications were made ten days and a fortnight, ago, the proprietors of the affected companies were not informed until Friday last that a license would not be granted. One of the three proprietors concerned told a P p.ess reporter yesterday that he had been running a service*" from Christchurcli to the Motukarara races for years. If the Committee was going to refuse permission for all country race and sports mcetihgs, the income of the concern was going to be seriously affected. The service usually provided two buses for the purpose and they were liberally patronised by the public. The cars started from the City later than the trains and this allowed those who had their half-holiday to travel to the races. Thus, if the services were curtailed there would be many people who simply could not go at all. A great number who could go by bus would not go by train. The buses were more comfortable, faster, and mor« suitable altogether than the trains. The fewer buses there were on The roads, he said, the less work there would be for drivers, mechanics, coachbuilders, and others, and the less money would go to the Government from heavy traffic and registration fees, apart from the petrol and tyre taxes. The policy of the Committee would undoubtedly add to the unemployed problem, and was unjust in the extreme to private enterprise. "The Committee is restricting our activities to bolster up a dying concern—the railways," he concluded. Another affected proprietor said that he had always run services to Motukarara, Hororata, Cheviot, Ashburton, and even to Timaru, and that the action of the Committee had been a very disagreeable surprise to him. He had booked nearly 'a score of passengers for the trip on Saturday, and, as a result of the curtailment of the service, they had all decided to stay at home.