LONG DISTANCE BUS SERVICES

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 50, 23 November 1926, Page 10

LONG DISTANCE BUS SERVICES

ATTITUDE OF RAILWAY DEPARTMENT Dominion Special. Auckland, November 22. The attitude of the Railway Department toward the granting of licenses for long-distance motor-bus services likely to compete with railways was explained by Mr. E. Casey, divisional superintendent of railways for the North Island, at a meeting of No. 1 Licensing Authority to-day. An application had been received from W. ; J. Wheeler for a license for a motoromnibus service from Auckland to Pukekohe, via Great South Road, Penrose, Otahuhu, Papatoetoe, Manurewa, Takanini, Papakura, Drury, and Paerata, using two buses. Mr. Casey protested against this license being granted. Pukekohe, he said, was 30 miles from Auckland, and had a good train service. In view of the large passenger traffic between Pukekohe and Auckland, the fact that only two buses were to be employed _ indicated that the applicant did not intend, to make a serious attempt to deal with the traffic. The licensing authority, he claimed, should not allow buses to prev on transport undertakings that were serving the bulk of the people. Such undertakings should be safeguarded from “pirates.” The applicant admitted he had not vet started the service, but proposed to run eight trips each way every day. allowing two hours for the journey. Dfore buses would be. put on as required. He claimed his fares were higher than those charged by the railways, and in that sense he would not be competing with a Government service He would run a Sunday service and a late bus at night, services which the railway did not give. Dlr. Casey said the railways . were the. largest 'carriers in the Dominion, and he suggested that the present, application should be deferred, so that the Department could consider the position. The Department was not now confined to the rails; and was; >n a position to put in an application for bus services. The Department wanted to cater for suburban districts, and would like to be able to. put. a proposition before the Licensing Authority. The application was deferred.