TRANSPORT LICENSES

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 586, 18 July 1933, Page 6

TRANSPORT LICENSES

TAURANGA ROUTE TWO APPLICATIONS REFUSED BY THE CENTRAL AUTHORITY OPPOSED BY SERVICE GOYS. Two applications made to- the Central Licensing Authority at the Magistrate's Court yesterday morning by Messrs H. H. Davis and Mrs. D. M. Chase, taxi-proprietors, of Rotorua, for licenses for the round trip from Rotorua to Tauranga and return, were opposed by service car companies at present operating over the route and refused iby the authority, consisting of Sir Stephen Allen (chairman) and Mr. H. B. S. Johnstone. For the applicants, Mr. W. A Carter stated that Rotorua was in rather an unique position as regards transport on aceount of its tourist traffic. The position had been placed before th'e Commissioner of Transport and he had suggested that in order that taxiproprietors might be better catered for, separate applications should be made for each separate route. The Commissioner had stated that one license would be granted for ten routes. The present applications covered a round trip from Tauranga to Rotorua. His clients did not desire to pick up or set down passengers en route but but to provide for passengers who desired to see some of the hiistorical places on the route. The main object of the applications was to enable the operator to advertise the fact that visitors might do this trip and to give him permission to make up a load. In the case of Davis, only one car would be used on the trip and if any other proprietor had cause for complaint, they could apply in the same imanner. If the taxi proprietors had to pay a fee for six or ten routes, they did not want the route applied for. The chairman: The question of fees is one for the Commissioner. Mr. Carter replied that they simply wanted the opportunity to advertise the trip and build up loads. Replying further to an inquiry from the chairman as to why the taxi proprietors did not file application for the various routes, Mr. Carter stated that this had been done but that the department had made out fresh separate applications and referred them back for signature. The chairman said it seemed rather cumherous to have so many applications covering a fleet of taxis. Mr. Carter said that the Rotorua taxis were more interested in the hot lakes district. Mr. H. Davis said th'at he had applied for licenses in the hot lakes district and when he forwar-ded these to the Commissioner, he was told to apply for any others he also wanted. Mr. Carter said that the difficulty seemed that this application was before this authority while other authorities would deal with other applications. The chairman said that the authority could not consider an application out of its district. (Applicant's Evidence In evidence H. H. Davis said that he only wanted to pick up passengers for the round 'trip. The trip was done quite a lot in the summer as a. sightseeing route. He might do only ten runs in twelve months. He said he could not see the bbjection to staying overnight if necessary. He felt that there was a demand for such a trip. He proposed to take passengers on the round trip for £1 the day trip and by Burberry's service they would have to stay two nights and a da.y, There would he no ex-tra expense involved to him if the application was granted and his financial position was sound. With the exception of the Ro-torua-Tauranga passenger service, there was no other sightseeing service to Tauranga. Mr. G. Haymes, representing "K" Motors, said that during January and February last his company had held a temporary license over this route. His company had charged a fare of ten shillings including the Mount and not suffiorent passengers had been offering. \ Mr. Davis. You wanted about fourteen passengers. Case For Opposition Oalled by Mr. Burberry, Mr. P. A. Kusabs director of "K" Motors, Ltd., said that the Orapai Road was very unsatisfactory. The number of passengers offering would be about two , a week for the months of January and February only. He had found that the local people took the trip as a means of visiting the Mount ch'eaply, as much as visitors. His company's fare was ten shillings and seven were required to make the trip. Mr. Burberry suggested that the position as far as Tauranga was concerned, was diffe'rent than that of others in the district. There would be no obligation upon tha passengers to return and they would therefore come in conflict with' the service car regulations. Tauranga had many attraetions and he found that visitors did not want to go there for a matter of two hours. There was no route in the Dominion where the traffic had deelined to such a great extent, and it was now reduced almost entirely to a tourist and holiday route. On his own service, he carried mails and provisions for settlers on the route. He now ran as many ernpty trips as full cars. He had two costly cars laid up with no service for them and if the traffic increased he would be prepared to place these in commission. He suggested that with his own service and that of his agents, "K" Motors, the service was all that was required to meet the demand. He claimed that it was impossdble for taxis to go from Rotorua to Tauranga within the hours of daylight and see all the sights of the district. Mr. Carter said that he thought Mr. Burberry failed to gbasp the idea of the application. It was not expected to travel at the same time as the ordinary serviice. Regarding the application of Mrs. D. M. Chase, Mr. Carter said. the object was similar to that of Davis' and this was, corraborated by- Mr. Chase, manager for Mrs. Chase. He considered there was a good deal of business offering and said that Mrs. Chase did not intend competing with Burberry's" service. A suggestion iby Mr. Carter that Burberry's service "had a good thing

on" was discounted by Mr. Burberry. It had also been asserted that his service was not doing much for Rotorua but provided the means of many visiting the attraetions here. He contended that the applicants did not know the route and much less its condition. The traffic over the Orapai Road was very small and little information could be obtained. Mr. S. Smith pointed out to the authority that no information had been provided bearing 0n the financial resources of the applicants, as provided for in the Act. The chairman announced that the two applications would be refused by the authority. Application of W. Beaumont An application by W. Beaumont, of Ngongotaha, for licenses covering the Rotorua, East Taupo and Waihi districts was also heard and decision deferred by the authority. Mr. Beaumont said that he did not operate a feeder service to the railways. Most of his contracts were for timber from the National Timber Company and these were carried direct to a destination. He asked for a route license from Rotorua to Waihi, covering an area of about 20 miles. In replying to Mr. Wilson, he said he was not aware that the railways would take up to 12,000 feet of timber at the .ordinary rate. Prior to November, 1931, he was not operating to Waihi. He commenced this service about 12 months ago, Paeroa and Ngatea being included about the same time. Regarding the Taupo route, he said that. he was not interested in the township itself, but only in the bush where posts were obtained. The road from the main highway was private property. J. B. Robertson, foreman of the National Timber Company at Ngongotaha, said that he had been continuously in Ngongotaha since November, 1931, and that Mr. Beaumont had been carrying on as a cartage contractor since that date. Mr. Beaumont had been allowed to carry his company's timber against the railways in order that the cheaper freight would alow them to compete against other timber companies. To Mr. Wilson witness said that the railway freiglht to Paeroa was about 4s 2d and by truck about 4s 6d delivered on the job. Mr. M. E. Fitzgerald formally opposed the Waikato section of the application. Mr. Wilson contended that the applicant was not entitled to an automatic license beyond Matamata. The railways were catering to carry timber and all classes o-f goods. For the applicant Mr. J. D. Davys said that Beaumont had been giving a useful service to small farmers on the route and when they could have their goods brouglht to their farms direct this proved a great benefit to them. On many occasions the mills had been able to secure business by placing this timber on the farms at a reasonable rate. Decision was reserved.