U.A.S. and the Darlington Corporation: An Inquiry Likely1
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At a recent meeting of the Darlington Council there were further developments in connection with the difficulty -which has arisen between that authority and the largest undertaking working services in the area, the United Automobile Services, Ltd. The council confirmed the recommendation of its hackney carriage committee declining to license 119 machines employed by the company in the Darlington area, so that now it seems almost certain that another Ministry of Transport inquiry will be held into the differences between the parties.
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At the meeting the reasons for the refusal of licences were disclosed. The hackney carriages committee reported the three following actions by the company :—(a) It had started a halfhourly service between Richmond and Darlington, via the direct route, in spite of an intimation horn the town clerk that the existing service was adequate for the public needs.; (b) it had diverted its Catterick Camp route, via Middleton Tyas ; (e) it had given notice to substitute the 15-min. on the Bishop Auckland-Darlington route by a 71-min. one.
It is evident from this report that
the corporation is anxious to press forward its claims for more extensive powers over bus undertakings, but, in the light of the finding of the inquiry held in April last, it is difficult to see upon what grounds it hopes to achieve this end, unless, of course, the Minister of Transport can be prevailed upon to alter his opinion. As a result of the inquiry, the corporation had its powers concerning routes restricted to within the borough boundaries, and it was refused the power to fix time-tables. So far, the company has not made any statement.