MR. CHAMBERLAIN. REBUKES RAILWAY
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ASTRONG protest against railway opposition to bus facilities, to the effect that the railways were never satisfied, was voiced by Mr. W. Chamberlain, chairman of the North-Western Traffic Commissioners, at a sitting in Manchester, on Tuesday. Manchester Corporation applied for an increase of the frequency on its Sunday services between Manchester and Altrincham. A railway company objected on the ground of additional competition.
The chairman, in granting the modification applied for, stated that, in 1932, the Commissioners, to protect the newly electrified railway to Altrincham, restricted the •bus service to a pavement service, taking 41 minutes, as compared with the 19 minutes of the fast trains. The railway company was given a free hand to deal with the express traffic. Year after year it was still endeavouring to restrict expansion of this slow service.
I feel I ought to speak strongly on . this matter," he added. "The railway company has been safeguarded as far as possible and yet it is never satisfied."
ANOTHER TROLLEYBUS PLAN.
ASCHEME for further 5ubstituti6n of trolleybuses for trams is being prepared by Bradford Corporation. The route in question is one of the longest in the system—from Bradford to Crossflats, Dingley.
RIBBLE'S HUGE EXPANSION.
I NTERESTING facts regarding the growth of Ribble Motor Services, Ltd., were revealed by Mr. A. Franks, at a dinner given by the company, at Blackpool last week. Ile traced the history of the concern from 1919, when it began with five coaches and a garage rented outside Preston, to the present day, when its activities covered Lancashire, Cumberland and Westmorland, with long-distance services to places as far apart as London and Edinburgh. At the end of the current year, it was estimated that the company would have carried 80,000,000 passengers, with gross receipts totalling £1,240,000, compared with 6,500,000 and £130,000 respectively 10 years ago. Other speakers were Mr. W. F. Ashcroft, IP., Ald. G. Whittaker, J.P., Mayor of Blackpool, Mr. H. Bottomley, traffic manager, and Mr. A. A. Liardet, general manager of Leyland Motors, Ltd. Mr. Liardet prophesied a bright future for the road-transport industry. Major H. E. Hickmott, the managing director, was in the chair, and the guests included Mr. W. Chamberlain, chairman of the North Western Traffic Commissioners, Mr. H. Hardman, secretary of the Blackpool Motor Coach Owners' Association, and Miss Anna Lee, the British film star.
Miss Lee selected Miss Dorothy Hahgood (Miss Liverpool) as the Ribble Motor Queen, out of 18 entrants from towns in the north-west.