Coach Fares "Ridiculously Low"
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FARES charged by the North Western Road Car Co., Ltd., on their services from Manchester and Stockport to Scarborough were ridiculously low and heightened the disparity between road and rail, Mr. Granville Dixon told the North Western Traffic Commissioners at Manchester last week.
The British Transport Commission objected to North Western's application to pick up and set down at Butlin's Camp, Filey, on their express services from Manchester, Stockport and Biddulph to Scarborough. The hearing of the backing application by the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners was reported in The Commercial Motor on October 19.
For North Western, Mr. John Green said their route along the coast road between Bridlifigton and Scarborough passed the main gates of the camp. There had been many requests from passengers for this facility. The present method of changing at Scarborough or Bridlington was unsatisfactory. In the summer, the stage services, which ran through to Hull, were' overcrowded.
Mr. W. Woolley, assistant traffic manager, said that of 13,142 passengers carried from the north-west in 1956, 4,580 travelled to Bridlingfon. The total from both areas was 18,000, and it was estimated through their booking agents, that 10 per cent. travelled to the camp.
Cross-examined by Mr. Dixon, he said booking agents were reluctant to appear when they were railway agents also, and say they were advising people to go by road.
Mr. Dixon said North Western's fares to Bridlington and Scarborough were, respectively, 0.86d. and Id. per mile from Manchester, and 0.84d. and id. from Stoat port, When the company applied recently for an express licence between Manchester and Cleethorpes, which was later withdrawn, the proposed fare averaged 1.34d. per mile. Why was there such a discrepancy?
The fare was a summation of existing fares, said Mr. Woolley, The Scarborough fares were slightly below standard, but 2s. 6d. per car-mile was a fair return.
The hearing was adjourned.