§ 27. Mr. L. SMITHasked the Minister of Transport in how many cases the fares of public motor coach or motor omnibus services have been raised by order of the traffic commissioners; and whether he will give the circumstances of each such case?
§ Mr HERBERT MORRISONI have no information with regard to this matter.
§ Mr. STEPHENWill the right hon. Gentleman make inquiries into the matter?
§ Mr. MORRISONIn so far as I deal with these matters, they come to me on appeal from a decision of the traffic commissioners, but I have no power to deal with them otherwise.
§ Mr. SMITHSeeing that this is a matter of some importance, where people have to pay more for their journeys by coach, will the right hon. Gentleman look further into it?
§ Mr. MORRISONSo far as the matter comes before me, I will do so, but the Road Traffic Act deliberately provides that the traffic commissioners should have the right to review fares if, on the one hand, they are too low, or if, on the other hand, they are too high. I should have thought my hon. Friends would realise that, if fares are too low, they may be secured at the expense of the workpeople concerned.
§ Colonel ASHLEYDoes not the right hon. Gentleman act in these cases in a judicial capacity, and therefore would it not be improper for him to intervene?
§ Mr. MORRISONThat is quite right. The right hon. and gallant Gentleman is quite accurate.
§ Mr. BATEYThe right hon. Gentleman said, in his reply, that he had no knowledge of any increase of fares. Has his attention not been drawn to the fact that the Commissioners have increased the fares on workmen's omnibuses in the county of Durham?
§ Mr. MORRISONMy hon. Friend drew my attention to one case, in which, I am advised, the information was quite wrong.