96
72
—
The road plan, enclosed herewith, will assist in bringing out more clearly a view of what has been advanced in the foregoing. The sincere expression of which, it is trusted, will convince Government of the seriousness of our just contentions and the entire undesirability of permitting the diversions and extensions of the Motor- Bus routes now sought for.
I am, therefore, in conclusion, directed to plead that the present applications before Government in this matter be not allowed.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your obedient servant,
(sd.) F. H. GLOVER, Acting General Manager, HONG KONG TRAMWAYS, LIMITED.
APPENDIX M."
4
Hong Kong Tramways Limited.
Reports in Chinese Newspapers that the China Motor Bus Co., Ltd., has been granted permission by the Police to extend routes, increase services and introduce 2nd class fares.
REPORT BY GENERAL MANAGER.
11th March, 1935.
When this Company tendered for the exclusive right to operate motor buses on the Island of Hong Kong it was understood that only first class fares would be permitted. That is to say, no bus fare would be less than the first class tram fare.
In a letter to me dated January 18th, 1928, the then Inspector General of Police (Mr. Wolfe) said:--
C
Mr. Taggart's object is not to operate a motor bus service parallel
to the tramways but to get a city connection for his own rural and city bus "* services.
All that is being asked for is a first class passenger "service in Queen's Road which would not compete in any way with the
tramways."
Two years later the Road Traffic Act of 1930 came into force in England. Under this Act Great Britain was divided into eleven areas, each under three Traffic Commissioners, and it is to these Commissioners that one must apply in Great Britain for licences to operate motor buses or to alter fares or the frequency of motor bus services on any route.
of
73
―
Section 72 of the Road Traffic Act of 1930 provides that the Commissioners
in exercising their discretion to grant or to refuse a road service licence in respect any routes and their discretion to attach conditions to any such licence shall have regard to the following matters:—
(a) the suitability of the routes on which a service may be provided under
the licence;
(b) the extent, if any, to which the needs of the proposed routes or any
of them are already adequately served;
(c) the extent to which the proposed service is necessary or desirable in the
public interest;
(d) the needs of the area as a whole in relation to traffic (including the provi- sion of adequate, suitable and efficient services, the elimination of un- necessary services and the provision of unremunerative services), and the co-ordination of all forms of passenger transport, including transport by rail;
and take into consideration any representations which may be made by persons who are already providing transport facilities along or near to the routes or any part thereof or by any local authority in whose area any of the routes or any part of any of the routes is situate.
Subject to the provisions of this section and to any regulations made by the Minister, the Commissioners may attach to a road service licence such conditions as they may think fit with respect to the matters to which they are required to have regard under the preceding sub-section, and in particular for securing that :-
(a) the fares shall not be unreasonable;
(b) where desirable in the public interest the fares shall be so fixed as to prevent wasteful competition with alternative forms of transport, if any, along the route or any part thereof, or in proximity thereto;
When I was on leave two years ago I attended a Transport Conference at which Sir Cyril Hurcomb, K.B.E., Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Transport, read an important paper, of which the following is an extract:-
"
One of the most difficult questions which have arisen in connection "with the licensing of road passenger services is the extent to which an efficient road transport undertaking, providing adequate local services, whether municipally or privately owned, is entitled in the public interest to protection from the competition of other undertakings, whose justification
"
**
C6
มง
**
is the provision of longer-distance through services, and the form which that protection should take :
"The question may arise in relation to:-
CC
CK
(a) tramways and trackless trolley vehicles,
(b) public service vehicles which are being run in substitution for
tramways and which are required to bear the outstanding tram- way debt, and
(c) other local services of public service vehicles.
The question of competition between public service vehicles and tramways and trackless trolley undertakings is dealt with at considerable length in paragraph 91 of the First Interim Report of the Departmental Committee on the Licensing and Regulation of Public Service Vehicles (1925). It is there pointed out that tramway undertakings, whether muni- cipally or privately owned, are subject to statutory liabilities, such as the maintenance of part of the highway on which they run and also that tram-
97
M