HC Deb 29 June 1934 vol 291 cc1464-5

11.50 a.m.

The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the MINISTRY of TRANSPORT (Lieut.-Colonel Headlam)

I beg to move, in page 18, line 5, at the end, to insert: (f) the holder of the public service vehicle licence in respect of the vehicle must, within the prescribed time, make or cause to be made a record containing the prescribed particulars in relation to the matters referred to in the foregoing conditions and otherwise in relation to the journey, so however that the regulations shall not require particulars of fares or prices to be recorded; and (g) the driver of the vehicle must carry a work ticket containing such particulars as may be prescribed for the purpose of enabling the record of the journey made under the last foregoing paragraph to be traced and identified. (2) The driver of a vehicle shall, on demand by a police constable in uniform, or by a person authorised by any traffic commissioners, on production if so required of that person's authority, produce a work ticket carried by him under this section for inspection by the constable or person authorised, and if the driver fails so to do he shall be guilty of an offence. (3) The person by whom a record is required by this section to be made shall preserve it for a period of six months from the date on which it is made, and shall, if required so to do at any time during that period, produce it for inspection by any person authorised by any traffic commissioners, on production if so required of that person's authority, and if he fails so to do he shall be guilty of an offence. (4) If, with intent to deceive, any person alters an entry in a record made under this section he shall be guilty of a misdemeanour and shall be liable—

  1. (a) on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years;
  2. (b) on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding four months or to a fine not exceeding one hundred pounds or to both such imprisonment and fine."
This is to fulfil a pledge given by my hon. Friend in Committee. The purpose of the record is to enable the Traffic Commissioners to satisfy themselves that a journey purported to be made by a private car comes within the conditions which are set out in the Amendment. This condition makes no reference to the amount of fares paid by individual passengers or the charge made for the vehicle. In order to allay the fears expressed by the industry this Amendment specifically provides that no declaration of fares will be required by the Minister.

Mr. TURTON

While thanking the Minister of Transport for the way in which he met an Amendment I moved earlier, I must at the same time express my regret that he has not included the amount of the charge in respect of the vehicle. There is no question of this being shown to anybody but by the Traffic Commissioners. In my view it will be unfortunate if the record does not include the charge for the vehicle, because it would prevent the serious undercutting which goes on by private vehicles against the ordinary regular carriers of passenger traffic. I fear that it will not be altered in another place, but still I express my thanks to the Minister for the extent to which he has met my point and regret that he has not gone further.

Amendment agreed to.