EXPRESS CO.'S APPEAL AGAINST U.A.S. GRANT
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ACOMPLAINT, of unfairness against the Northern Traffic Commissioners was made at an inquiry at Newcastleon-Tyne last week -when the Ministry of Transport held an inquiry into an appeal by the Express Motor Co., Ltd., Durham, against the decision of the Traffic Commissioners in granting a licence to the United Automobile Services, Ltd., to operate a bus service between Whinney Hill and Lowes Barns, via Durham Station whilst rejecting -a similar application made by the appellants.
Mx. William McKeag, M.P., for the Axpress Company, said that on February 26 last, his -clients aPplied-to the Commissioners to serve the area' mens tinned where 'housing developments were taking place. The United concern made a similar application, but Mt. McKeag contended the whole of the evidence called was in support of the Express Company. Despite this, however, the Commissioners rejected the Express Company's application and granted the licence to the United. The Commissioners decision on the Express Company's application was published in the Gazette on April 20 but the decision allowing a service to be operated by the United concerti was not-announced until May 18.
Mr. McKeag alleged that the Commissioners attempted to justify their action by permitting to be introduced a transcript of a hearing of a United application made on November 6, 1934, which the concern's own superintendent admitted was not on 'a par with the application by the Express Company.
For the United company, Mr. J. C. :Dean declared the CoMmissieners were sj-Ustified in their action. Regarding the transcriptiOn referred to by Mr. McKeag, he thought the Commissioners could not possibly -give a decision on the application before them on February 26 without taking into -account the hearing of November .6. Mr. Dean added that the local authorities in the Durham area had in the early part of 1,984 -asked the United -company to increase its services to the Lowes Barns area, and this -suggestion was incorporated in the application. The Ministry's decision will be announced later.
CO-ORDINATION PLANS FOR POOLE BUS SERVICES.
D EPRESENTATIVES of Hants and JADorset Motor Services, Ltd., have met Poole Town Council's transport committee and put before it proposals for the co-ordination of the whole of the services running into or through the borough. •The proposals enable the company to charge the same fares on all its buses, and to establish definite change-over points within the borough.
The main-road services have all been numbered and applications have -been made to the Traffic Commissioners for the licences to be made permanent. Variations in the licences for routes other than the main-road services have also been applied for.
BIRMINGHAM TO OPERATE NEW ROUTES.
APPLICATION has been made to the West Midland Traffic Commissioners by Birmingham bus department for -permission to inaugurate two -new bus -services in the city. . The new -services will be operated by single-deck buses.
It is also intended •to join Up the existing services between the .city .and Bolton Road, Small 'Heath, and be-. tween Bordesley Green East and Kingstanding. By this means it Will be -possible to travel from Station Street to .Hingstanding without changing,
DUNFERMLINE BUS SERVICES PROPOSALS
THE Dunfermline magistrates conferred last week with the representatives of local bus operators regarding the proposed bus services which are -to be run in Dunfermline and district consequent upon the forthcoming discontinuance of the tramway system.
It was disclosed at the conference that the bus operators had offered to purchase from the Town Council the Carnegie Street stand; this offer was, however, turned down. In consequence, the St. Margaret's Street stand will not be closed, as was suggested.
The proposed services will-give Townhill a 10-minute service with duplicates at peak hours and a five-minute service on Saturdays. Aberdour Road and Lochore will have a 10-minute service, with duplication at peak hours in the case of the former and augmented weekend services in the case of the latter.
It has been agreed that doubledeck buses shall be permitted to run through the city.
PROBLEM OF CHILDREN'S FARES SETTLED IN NORTH-WEST.
T" principle of free rides for _children until the age of five, of half fares for all children over five and under 14, also of half fares for scholars under 16 travelling to and from school is laid down by the North-western Traffic Commissioners in variations of road service licences granted in the current issue of "Notices and Proceedings."' These variations are applied to 51 licences of Birkenhead Corporation Transport, 41 licences of Cross-ilk Motor Services, Ltd,, and 23 licences of Wallasey Corporation, and they recall a strong fight put up by the railway companies.
The findings on these applications also apply the principle of single fares for return journeys for worispeople starting out before 8 a.m.
NEW LONDON TROLLEYBUS ROUTE PLANNED.
ASERVICE of trolreybuses along Copse Hill, Wimbledon, is planned by the London Passenger Transport Board, when extensive road improvements have been completed. Wimbledon Town Council recently prepared a widening scheme, estimated" to cost nearly £25,000, and it has been announced that the Minister of Transport has offered a Road Fund grant. No public-service vehicles run along Copse Hill at present.
U.A.S. TO ACQUIRE NEW LONDON-NEWCASTLE SERVICE?
IT is reported that the United Antonio.' bile Services, Ltd., is negotiating for the purchase of the London-Newcastle service of Charlton's Blue Safety Coaches, Ltd. It is understood that the Charltcns concern's service operating between South Shields and Bill Quay, near Newcastle, is not involved in the proposed deal.
MANCHESTER PLEA FOR FARES REDUCTION
FOLLOWING the decision of Manchester Corporation transport committee that cheaper fares cannot be granted to the new Wythenshawe housing estate, it is announced that, at the October meeting of the city council, a motion will be proposed that the transport committee be instructed to report on the possibilities of introducing a maximum return bus fare of 6d. within the city boundary.
YORKSHIRE OBJECTIONS TO 11 NEW EXCURSIONS AND TOURS.
SEVERAL Yorkshire coach operators, and the London, Midland and Scottish Railway Company, appealed at Leeds, on Friday of last week, against the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners' decision to grant licences to Mr. J. H. Robinson, of Oldham, for 11 new excursions and tours from Bradford and Halifax.
Mr. B. de H. Pereira, for the railway company, said that Mr. Robinson had previously had licences for three tours from Halifax. It was said, added counsel, that 200 people had gone from Bradford to Todmorden to join Mr. Robinson's tours, but that was not sufficient to justify all these new tours.
Mr. H. R. B. Shepherd, on behalf-of the other appellants, contended that the demand for the tours was unreliable, because it was based on the saving of a few Shillings by the passengers. Mr. W. Blackhirst, for the respondent, said that Mr. Robinson had realized that if people could be show n that they could have a holiday at Torquay for the same price as one in Blackpool or Morecambe, they would be glad to make the change.
The appeals were heard by Sir Henry Wynne, Ministry of Transport Inspector, who will report to the Minister.
DEVIATION FROM CONDITIONS: MR. CHAMBERLAIN'S WARNING. r VERY deviation from conditions on La road service licence having to be notified as a modification, the Chairman of the Commissioners for the Northwestern Traffic area (Mr. W. Chamberlain), has issued a warning that if offences against this rule are repeated the time will come when the Commissioners will have to decide that defaulters are not fit and proper people to run public-service vehicles.
It had been reported to him that at the renewal period the practice of inserting variation of fares, timings, and destinations without notification was exceptionally prevalent. Instead of being able to reduce the staff, he said, the Commissioners had to increase it because a large number was doing nothing but scrutinizing the documents to see that nothing was creeping in that ought not to be there. It was an enormous task and a great expense to the industry.
One effect of' such offences was to disarm potential objectors, and he was afraid in some instances it was done deliberately.
• I.F.S. ENCOURAGES BUS MAIL SERVICE
A S a special• concession to users of
the bus mail facilities on the Dublin and provincial routes, the Irish Free State Department of Posts and Telegraphs has abolished the halfpenny late fee hitherto charged in addition to the ordinary postage rate on letters posted in the letter boxes fitted to buses on certain routes.
The service, which has been in operation for the past three years, is extensively used, especially in the rural areas. In some cases the delivery of letters in Dublin is speeded up from 12 to 24 hours by this means.
NEW LONDON TROLLEYBUS SERVICES NEXT MONTH. I T is hoped that the first of the new trolleybus routes in London will be opened next month, and London Transport engineers are working night and day to effect the change-over. Eighteen miles of trolleybus routes are at present in operation, and the route mileage for which conversion has been sanctioned totals 148. By the end of the year 90 miles of additional route are likely to be in operation.
NEW CARDIFF ROUTE PROJECTED.
ARRANGEMENTS have been made to lower Salisbury Road, Cardiff, 7 ins, where it passes under a railway bridge, thus enabling a new CathaysCity Centre bus service to be inaugurated with double-deck vehicles.