OMNIBUSES AND CABRIOLETS. (Hansard, 13 March 1834)

Mr. Alderman Wood
, in introducing his Motion for leave to bring in "a Bill to regulate the plying, driving, standing, places of arrival, and departure of stage-coaches, omnibuses, cabriolets, and other hackney carriages, and also the passing and repassing of other carriages used for the conveyance of goods, within the city of London, and within twelve miles of the General Post- 154 office," said, that though, on his first calling the attention of the House to the subject, he had limited his Motion to the city of London alone, he had now found reason to extend its operation, so as to include all the short stages. The number of vehicles of this description passing through Cheapside in one day was not less than 1800; and the magnitude of the subject was, in itself, sufficient to show, that it deserved the attention of the Legislature. He would not enter into any detail of his plan, but would merely mention, that one of its features would be the licensing of the drivers, instead of the proprietors of omnibuses and cabriolets.

§ Mr. Roebuck
hoped the diminution of the number of the vehicles in question would not form a part of the proposed measure. Their number could scarcely be too large, for if they exceeded the public necessity, they would, of themselves, diminish. He could only say, that with respect to the omnibuses, they were of great convenience to the citizens of London, and he should be sorry to see any measure introduced which might have the effect of checking a free trade in vehicles. Great caution was requisite in interfering with such a subject, for if the competition in omnibuses and stage-coaches were to be impeded, those persons who contrived to live a few miles out of London, with incomes of from 100l. to 70l. a-year, would be put to great inconvenience.

§ Mr. Hume
thought, after paying considerable attention to the subject, that licensing the drivers instead of the proprietors of omnibuses and cabriolets would be productive of bad consequences. It would be contrary, too, to the recommendation of the Committee which had sat on the subject, and which concluded, that it would be better to subject the proprietor, who had something, to the responsibility, and not the drivers, who had nothing but their weekly wages.

§ Lord Althorp
said, that he should be extremely sorry if, in giving his vote for the Motion, he should be supposed to do anything detrimental to free-trade. He did not think he should be doing so; on the contrary, he thought some legislative enactment on the subject would be of great public advantage. It was certainly desirable that instances of gross misconduct on the part of the driver, such as had been frequently before the public, should he put an end to.

Mr. O'Connell
was decidedly of opinion, 155 that it would not be a good plan to license the cabriolet drivers, for no set of commissioners would have so strong an interest in procuring good drivers as the owners of the vehicles.

§ Mr. Grote
said, great inconvenience was now sustained in the city of London by the stoppages caused by omnibuses. It was so bad at times, that it was almost impossible to cross the streets. He hoped the Bill would be allowed to be brought in, for certainly a more strict police regulation with regard to those vehicles was requisite.