BIRKENHEAD BUSES

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 291, 29 February 1928, Page 16

BIRKENHEAD BUSES

SERVICE CEASES TO-NIGHT BOROUGH COUNCIL BLAMED Cut rates, followed by a community bus, and finally unlicensed motor-cars, have put the Marine Suburbs Bus Company in such a position that all its services will cease at Birkenhead at midnight to-night. This decision was reached by the shareholders at the third annual meeting last evening. Mr. Wallace presided. The company had made a loss of £1,485 for the year, he said, and the buses must leave the road, the cause being that the Birkenhead Borough Council had granted licences to taxis against the buses. The taxis got off for 30s a year, while the buses had to pay fees reaching as high as £7 a seat. The company had been formed with the support of the Ferry Company, and had done more for Birkenhead than any other organisation. It was a sorry day for him, but the council seemed to have gone out of its way to oppose the company. The Hon. E. W. Alison spoke in similar strain, and said the Ferry Company took shares to enable the flotation of the company. He congratulated the chairman on the efforts he had made in the company’s behalf, and Mr. T. Smith, the manager, and staff on their -work. On the motion of Messrs. Bicknell and Beele it was decided to protest against the action taken by the Borough Council in granting licences to cars to run in direct opposition to buses, which was considered to be in direct opposition to the intentions of the Motor Omnibus Act and the Public Works regulations. Messrs. W. Wallace and A. E. Alison w r ere re-elected directors.