§ 23. Mr. THORNE(for Mr. McENTEE) asked the Minister of Transport whether, arising out of his decision to uphold the finding of the traffic commissioners for the eastern area to fix a minimum fare of sixpence on a service of saloon coaches between Bow and Chelmsford, Brentwood, and Romford, he can state whether any consideration was given to the position of the residents in the Shenfield area who, as a consequence, have been corn-polled to travel either in small omnibuses or in uncomfortable double-deck omnibuses when comfortable saloon coaches could have been available; and whether he can state the reason for granting short-stage facilities to the London General Omnibus Company, the London arid North Eastern Railway Company, arid the Eastern National Omnibus Company, whilst withholding them from the line in question?
Mr. STANLEYI am informed that the 6d. minimum fare in respect of the coach services operated by Messrs. Hillman on this route has not yet been brought into operation and that the services are still running as in the past. Coach services and omnibus services are designed to cater for different classes of passenger traffic and my predecessor decided on an appeal under Section 81 of the Road Traffic Act that fares of less than 6d. should not be charged on these coach services, but that passengers wishing to travel short distances only should be carried by the omnibus services which should, if necessary, be strengthened. In reaching his decision on the appeal, my predecessor had before him the whole of the representations made to the traffic commissioners at their public sitting and those made at the appeal inquiry on the 16th and 17th November last.