§ Mr. MARCHasked the Minister of Transport what fees are chargeable by a licensing authority for a licence for a motor omnibus; a licence for a driver of a motor omnibus; a licence for a conductor of a motor omnibus; and whether the same fees are chargeable to a local authority and a company or individual?
§ Colonel ASHLEYNo fee is chargeable by a licensing authority in respect of a licence to ply for hire with an omnibus, but the owner is, of course, obliged to obtain an excise licence for a motor hackney carriage under the Finance Act, 1920, the duty varying according to the seating capacity of the vehicle. The driver of a motor omnibus has to pay 5s. for a driving licence under the Motor Car Act, 1903, and in addition he must obtain from the local licensing authority a further licence as driver of an omnibus, for which a fee of Is. is chargeable under the general law. In the Metropolitan police area, however, the fee is 5s. under a special Act. There may be special Acts governing this matter in other areas, of which I have no knowledge. The conductor of a motor omnibus requires a local licence, for which the same fee is chargeable as for the driver, but he does not require the driving licence under the Motor Car Act, 1903. As regards the excise licences for vehicles and the driving licences under the Motor Car Act, 1903, local authorities and other operators are all on the same footing; as regards local licensing fees for drivers and conductors the point does not arise, as these charges are retained by the local authority.