Excursion Operators Oppose Yelloway With Railways
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EXCURSION operators and British Railways joined forces -LA last week to object to an application by Yelloway Motor Services, Ltd., for unlimited duplication on their RochdaleCheltenham express service at Easter.
Mr. Hubert Allen, general manager, admitted to Mr. P. Kershaw, for British Railways, who objected, that three dis pensations for Easter, 1959, had been granted hecause booking agents had exceeded their allocations. Mr. Allen agreed that they should not be used as a basis for further applications.
From May 1-October 30, the service ran between Rochdale and Torquay without restriction, but for the remainder of the year it operated only between Rochdale and Cheltenham, connecting With services of Associated Motorways. This was restricted to not more than one duplicate on each departure, except at Christmas.
Only 16 per cent, of winter traffic was booked through to seaside resorts, and the application could not affect excursion operators, he claimed. Witnesses would be called to show that trains were crowded to the limit Since the licence had been granted, in 1953, Yelloway had refused substantial bookings at Easter, Mr. Kershaw pointed out that the Commissioners were being asked to give carte blanche for 15 days because trains were full on Good Friday and Easter Monday. For the operator objectors, Stanley Spencer Tours (Manchester), Ltd., Happiway Tours (Manchester), Ltd., and Smith's Tours (Wigan), Ltd.. Mr. J. Backhouse said that Yelloway's 1959 figures showed they had turned away
bookings on six occasions. Three of these were on days when dispensations were operating. The company were not overloaded during the remainder of the Easter period.
Express operators complained that excursion operators abstracted from their services, said Mr. Backhouse. "Now the boot is on the other foot," he observed.
Fantail tours were not entitled to protection from express services, claimed Mr. F. D. Walker, for Yelloway. The service was on a main trunk route to the south and west. It was in the public interest that unlimited duplication should be extended.
Mr. F. Williamson, chairman, said that the service was one which had always been subject to limitation by the Minister of Transport to protect the railways, but the Commissioners could not ignore the experience of witnesses who had travelled by train at Easter.
Decision was reserved,
A.E.C. COACHES ARRIVING
THE East Kent Road Car Co., Ltd., have begun taking delivery of 40 new A.E.C. Reliance-Park Royal 41-seat coaches. They will be used on express services to London, Bournemouth and Birmingham from March 1.
Special features include full-length door glazing, draught-proof windows of a novel type, and a passenger-address system.