Col. Redman Castigates Railways
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"JNLESS you provide everyone ‘...) with proper convenient seating accommodation, we do not consider it right for you to come and oppose these applications," observed Col. A. S. Redman, chairman of the West Midland Traffic Commissioners, at Hanley, last week, to Mr. J. Wilk, who, representing the L.M.S. Railway Co., opposed an application by Brown's Motor Co: (Tunstall), Ltd., for permission to operate an additional vehicle on the excursions to Blackpool and another on excursions to Rhyl.
The chairman said that, until the railway company could provide corridor trains for the excursions, the Commissioners did not think it was in the public interests to require the public to travel in those trains, when it did not wish to do so. There could be no wasteful competition in allowing another coach, so long as the railway company was using old rolling stock. Mr. Wilk pointed out that last August the company experienced a decreased demand for accommodation to Blackpool, in spite of the fact that two extra trains were provided and two others were standing by, and the chairman remarked: " That proves that the public does not .want them."
When Mr. Wilk said there was no evidence that the facilities were not suitable, Col. Redman commented: " If the facilities be not corridor-train facilities, they are not, in our opinion, suitable or desirable in the interests of the public." Later, the chairman suggested that the company should institute some system of coloured tickets in order to keep a proper check and restriction upon passengers. The applicant was granted an additional vehicle for the Blackpool excursion, the extra coach for the Rhyl excursion being refused.