MOTOR SERVICES

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 76, 31 March 1933, Page 13

MOTOR SERVICES

CO-ORDINATION

yo BE GIVEN' A CHANCE

Evidence was called yesterday after»oon by the Aard Napier Owner Drivers in their application for an extension Of their Napier-Levin run to Wellington, to show that the .co-ordination of services had raised difficulties in bookings and was responsible for annoyance to the travelling public. The extended servico sought was not granted, the existing licence being renewed.1

' During" a discussion on the question of co-ordination it was remarked by the chairman (Colonel S. S. Allen) that the -only complaints appeared to be in regard to matters of detail, and the evidence did not show that tho co-ordina-tion was not' successful.

Mr. H. J.. Knight, representing the "White Star Company, agreed with this view, and said that from the facts so. far brought to light there was no apparent reason why all the licences concerned •should not lie renewed.

The chairman said that very strong evidence would be needed to upset an arrangement cpmo to by air tlie parties _ only three months ago. The booking office question might prove of considerable rfhnoyance- to the -parties, but surely that could bo arranged, amongst themselves.

Mr. C. E. Purchase, who appeared for the applicants, aaid that this annoyance would become a public matter if it seriously affected the .convenience of passengers, which he held it did, and called Miss ' Everatt, bdfcjcing clerk of the Aard Wellington office, who gave instances .where passengers who had booked ahead through her had found their seats filled in the cars provided by another service to coordinate, thus preventing those passengers leaving the city by road that morning as booked. Mr. F. W. AickuT opposed the applications for Aard morning services from Wellington, on the. grounds that the railway and other services were sufficient. If it were decided to put on a service paralleling an express, he asked that only one service car be put on.' Mr. Knight, on behalf of the S.O.S. and- other services, supported the application for renewal,'-but opposed the application for extension.

The chairman was satisfied that the licence of the Aard servico as it existed should.be renewed. It was tho inten-tion,-of the board as faras possible, to allowva continuance of all existing services ; for'the year,: so as to give coordinatioa^a chance, r It was necessary: for services to work in ftarniony as far as possible in co-ordinating, and bo impartial in the matter of It was proposed by tho board to cut out the special fare of 27s (3d to Napier, arid make the fare the sum of the Napier-Palmorston North fare (17s 6d) and tho Palmerston North-Wellington faro .(12s 6d),?or 30s, less 10 per cont.> A renewal of the S.O.S. WellingtonWanganui passenger licence was granted by the authority, with a; slight alteration in time-table. To a request by Mr. F. W. Aickin, on behalf ; of the -Bailway Department, for the cutting out of' two cars daily from each end-of the service,: Mr. Knight remarked that the .Railways was asking the S.O.S. to give .up three-fourths of a service it had,carlied on for ten years. Benewals were granted as follows:— W. Moore, for a Wellington-I>ilding service; Highways Transport Co., Ltd., for^JPellington-Palinerston North serviceTrEas'tbburne Borough:; Council; for a : Wellington-Eastbourne, service;* New Zealand Railways, for Wellington-Hutt Park,-Wellington-Lower Hutt, Welling-ton-Mdera, and Wellington-Upper Hiitt services.