Corporation out of touch
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• If the Corporation had kept in touch it might have had an opportunity of providing the service, but because the applicant was already carrying some of the proposed passengers by taxi he should be granted the licence—this was the opinion of the North Western Traffic Commissioners in Manchester on Monday when they heard an application by G. Grundy and G. Howarth of Littleborough, trading as Gavins Taxis, for a new express service betwen Whitworth and Rochdale on school days only. Rochdale Corporation was objecting.
Mr. G. Howarth said that at present for road safety reasons parents were either taking their small children, between 5 and 12 years old, by private car to the William Skurr School at Rochdale or employing his taxi for this purpose. A letter of support from the headmaster said that those under 5 were too young to be entrusted to public transport.
Mrs. Joyce Haynes, of Whitworth, said she had a five-year-old boy who was definitely too young to negotiate the change necessary in the city centre if he went by public transport. Seven or eight cars collecting or dropping children outside the school cause congestion and the parents would welcome the service. On behalf of Rochdale Corporation, deputy manager, Mr. H. Reeves asked Mrs. Haynes if her area was not being developed and that shortly more children would be arriving. She agreed.
Mr. Reeves said the corporation would be happy to operate such a service if asked to do so by the William Skurr School or the Convent school which was +-mile away on the same route, but it had not been approached. It already operated services to the latter school and had strong objection to any independent minibus services starting up because of the potential growth in the area. It was already fully conscious of schools' requirements and its vehicles already ran extra mileage so pupils could be dropped on the correct side of the road.
The applied-for service was going to charge 12s 6d per week but the Corporation was prepared to introduce one for lOs weekly. It would deal with the parents or charge Is per single journey, whichever was most convenient.
The licence was granted for a 12-seater minibus limited to children attending the William Skurr School.