MOTOR-CAR BUSES

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 850, 19 December 1929, Page 8

MOTOR-CAR BUSES

BIRKENHEAD REFUSES LICENCE PROTEST TO BE MADE Motor-cars carrying passengers at bus fares at Birkenhead are not to be allowed to compete with buses. This decision was made by the Birkenhead Borough Council last evening. Mr. T. Donohue applied for a renewal of his licence to run his car as an omnibus. Cr. Kerruish moved, and Cr. Darlow seconded, that the request be granted. Cr. Campbell said the regular bus service could not be run satisfactorily while motor-cars were allowed to pick out the cream of the trips. Other councillors also opposed the application. The Mayor, Mr. J. P. McPhail, said that when the Blue Star Motor Service, Ltd., asked for a declaration of policy, the council in June last intimated that it would not grant additional licences provided that a satisfactory service was maintained. There was no hope held out that existing motpr-car licences would not be renewed, but a definite promise was made that no new ones would be granted. Mr. Donohue had run a satisfactory time-table as far as he was aware. The motion to grant the renewal was lost by five votes to three, the Mayor and Messrs. Kerruish and Darlow recording their votes in favour of renewal, and Messrs. H. A. Campbell, G. L. Hewson, R. R. Hayman, A. G. Jasper, and L. R. L. Moller against. it was stated subsequentlv by Mr ” ' R , out - organiser for the local branch of the Labour Party, that a meeting would be held to protest against the council's veto, and that a deputation would wait on the council early in the Mew Year requesting reconsideration.