LONDON TRAFFIC WAR.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3264, 8 July 1911, Page 5

LONDON TRAFFIC WAR.

MOTOR-OMXIBXJS MENACE TO THE TRAMWAYS.

The fight between tlie electric tram-way-car and the motor-omnibus for the passenger traffic of Eondon formed the subject of an important debate at a recent meeting of the London County Council. The matter arose out of a report submitted by the Highways Committee in connection with the estimates of expenditure for the year. The committee pointed out that while motor-omnibuses paid no rates for the use of the roads the Council’s ears paid £98,000 a year. Sir John Benn opened the discussion. “•From first to last,” he said, “the Municipal Reformers Lave tried to destroy the tramways -witlr the result that other means of locomotion have come in ; they have lot in the motor-omnibus, and unless we make a stand the tramwav property of the Council and our stock will go down, and London will lose millions of money.” Mr. Isidore Salmon said that the mo-tor-omnibus trade, with l a capital of £2,500,000, carried 8,000,000 passengers a week; while the Council’s tramways, wit'll a capital of £11,600,000, carried Init 10.000,000 passengers a week. In tlie end the estimates of expenditure were passed.