HC Deb 02 February 1931 vol 247 cc1447-8W
Vice-Admiral TAYLOR

asked the Minister of Transport whether he has yet issued his directions to the area traffic commissioners recently appointed under the Road Traffic Act, 1930, with special regard to those motor-coach services which have been licensed by existing licensing authorities; and to what extent the repeated warnings as to licensing new services which he issued subsequent to the passing of the Road Traffic Act, 1930, have been violated?

Mr. HERBERT MORRISON

I have not issued directions to the area traffic commissioners on this subject. They are bound under the Road Traffic Act, when considering an application for a road service licence, to have regard to the extent to which the service proposed is necessary or desirable in the public interest. I have no means of ascertaining the extent to which the warnings referred to by the hon. and gallant Member have been disregarded, but I see no reason to doubt that this is a matter which the traffic commissioners will take into con- sideration in deciding on applications for road service licences.