Fuel. Shortage Creates Coach Demand?
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rONFLICTING testimony as to the
popularity of Great Yarmouth as a holiday resort for people in the Rothei-ham and Sheffield areas was offered to the Y o rk s hi r e Traffic Commissioners at Leeds on Monday_ C. Riley and W. Smart and Co., Ltd., Rotherham operators of a Saturday joint holiday express service between Rawrnarsh and Rotherham and Great Yarmouth, applied to extend the period of operation and add picking-up and setting-down points at Wickersley and Maltby.
Mr. C. Riley said in evidence that the demand for Great Yarmouth, at the expense of the nearer resorts of Bridlington. Skegness and Cleetlaorpes. was astonishing, but it was suggested by the objectors, British Railways, that there had been a big drop in train loadings to Great Yarmouth in 1956 from Sheffield, Doncaster and Worksop.
For the applicants, Mr. J. Evans said that because of many requests they were asking to start the service at Whitsuntide each year, instead of the last Saturday in June. For the three Saturdays involved this year they already had 165 applications; for the corresponding period in 1956 there were 187. There were no through trains from Rotherham during this period.
The new points, which involved a slight change of route, would save passengers a journey by stage service into Rotherham. This part of the application could not affect the railways. and there was no objection from the road operator, Rotherham Corporation.
Mr. T. B. Atkinson. for the railways. submitted that if the application were granted, nine additional vehicles could be run this year and 15 in 1958. There were through trains from Doncaster, Sheffield and Worksop, involving one change only from Rotherham. and Maltby passengers were as near to Doncaster as to Rotherham.
This could be the first step towards applying for additional vehicles. The exceptional demand might well be caused by car owners who would use coaches only if they could not get petrol.
Decision was reserved.