Bus Station Superintendent Gets £720: Waste, Say Operators
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A LTHOUGH • the council-owned bus in. station at Consett (Co. Durham) provides stands for only 15 buses, a £720-ayear superintendent is in charge and he has an assistant to help him. This point was put forward by six operators who use the station when they appealed at a public -inquiry in Consett, last week, against the council's proposal to increase charges from ls, per bus to is.
The operators were the Northern General Transport Co., Ltd.; Sunderland District Omnibus Co., Ltd.; Venture Transport Co. (Newcastle), Ltd.; Armstrong Motor Services; Robson Luxury Coaches; and S. M. Pinnington and Son. They asked Mr. J. A. T. Hanlon, sitting as Minislry of Transport inspector, to rule that the proposed charge was too high.
Co!. H. L. Swinburne, for the council, said there was an annual deficiency on the bus station which would be bigger than ever next year. Stands for 15 buses were provided, with covered accommodation for passengers, a waiting room, parcels office and other amenities. It was well maintained, and the superintendent and his assistant were employed by the council.
Mr. Eric Davis, the council's accountant, agreed with Mr. T. H. Campbell Wardlaw, for one of the objectors, that Newcastle Corporation's bus stations were much bigger and handled more traffic than the one at Consett.
Mr. Wardlaw: Is it not astonishing that Consett should have a superintendent at £720 a year for its bus station and yet these other vast stations can get along without one?
Mr. Davis: It is a matter of policy. Mr. Joseph Quinn, clerk to the council. B18 said the operators had persistently askid that they be allowed to take over the station, but the council had no intention of changing their policy. , Mr. J. T. Richardson, Northern. General's traffic manager, said the company's inspectors could carry out the superintendent's duties. Outgoings should cost about £200 a year which, shared between ,the operators and the council, would work out at 5d. per bus instead of the proposed Is. 41d.
Mr. Hanlon said he would forward his report to the Minister and a decision would be announced later.
INQUIRY INTO BUS DEPOT RATING ASSESSMENTS
LOCAL authorities who run their own J--4 bus services are being asked by the Association of Municipal Corporations how their bus depots are assessed for rating purposes. This follows a complaint to the Association by Plymouth Corporation, who say the valuation of their depot compares badly with that of a depot in the city owned by the Western National Omnibus Co., Ltd.
The Corporation claim that Western National have obtained a concession on the method of valuation which has not been applied to the municipal depot.