OFFICIAL BUS INQUIRIES IN YORKSHIRE.
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The Proceedings at Inquiries Held at Halifax, Keighley and Leeds.
THREE inquiries have just been hold in the towns of Halifax, Keighley and Leeds by representatives of the Ministry of Transport. In the first, that at Halifax, the corporation bad applied for permission, under its Act of 1915, to run services to CIeckheaton and Rochdale. It was stated that the
requisite permission of the local authorities and the road authority on the route over which the buses would run had been secured, but the inquiry was held in consequence of the opposition which had been raised in various quarters.
The opponents of the scheme in eluded the L.M.S. Railway Co., the Ryburn Garage and Transport Co., Messrs. 0. and C. Holclsworth, proprietors of the liebble Services, Halifax, and the Commercial Motor Users Association. The suggestion was made by the town clerk of Halifax that the proposals could only be vetoed at the hands of the local authorities through whose districts the route would run, but the corporation had secured the necessary consent. If the inspector was satisfied there was a need for the services the town clerk contended that even the Ministry could not. withhold consent.
The inspector said the Ministry had been asked to give its consent and wished to consider the opposition before it did so.
Mr. W. T. Young, the Halifax Corporation tramways manager, said the route to Rochdale was first mooted in October, 1924, and particulars were published in the Press in January, 1925. Not until May, 1926, was any application made by an outside authority to run over this route. He was satisfied that the service, which had already been commenced, would be a paying one.
Mr. L. Rhodes, for the Ryburn Garage and Transport Co., said they put in an application to run in April. 1925, but the tramways manager said that was only for a portion of it. It was mentioned that an arrangement for protective fares for tramways on the route had been arranged by the Halifax and Rochdale Corporations.
With regard to the opposition of the two motorbus companies it was pointed Out that they had both applied for permission to run on the Rochdale route, and the proprietors of the Hebble Services had applied also for the Clockheaton route. The latter route was proposed to be worked by a joint service with the Heavy ,Woollen -District Tramways Co. and the corporation on the linos suggested to the Ministry in February, when the Halifax Corporation opposed the company's buses coming into Efalifax, but then came to a "bus-for-bus" agreement.
It was stated that Messrs. Holdsworth asked to run to Rochdale via Ripponden, a route which differed from the corporation's route, but their application had been held np. The inspector pointed out that if the opponents wished to run their vehicles they should have appealed against the refusal, but it was pointed out that as the appeal had not been refused, b,ut simply held up, they had no grounds of appeal.
At the inquiry at Keighley, which was conducted by Mr. It. H. Tolerton. the first intimation was made of proposals for the Keighley Corporation to join with the Collie Corporation and Messrs. E. Layeock and Sons, of Cowling, in the provision of a through service from Keighley to Coble, and it was also announced that through services to Halifax were proposed in conjunction with the Halifax Corporation and the Woollen District Tramways Co.
Messrs. Laycock and Sons have been running a through service to Collie since the general strike, and Mr. Tom Fletcher, of Cross Hills, has had in operation another service to Cowling, a half-way point. Mr. Fletcher sought permission to ply for hire, but Messrs. Laycock's application was withdrawn in consequence of the arrangement to which they were parties. On behalf of Mr. Fletcher it was contended that he opened out the service, and in one week carried 2,558 persons.
Against Messrs. Holdsworth's service to Halifax it was contended that there was 'congestion on the route and that already 4,340 bits journeys per week were made over one portion of the route. It was proposed so to reorganize the corporation services towards Haworth that, with the new service to Halifax by the three concerns, the number of bus journeys would not be increased.
Replying to cross-examination, the borough engineer of Keighley admitted that if it was proposed to increase the trolley-bus journeys on the route there -would be no objection, because the trolley-bus services commenced and ended in the borough. With regard to the matter of congestion the inspector pointed out that he supposed the control of motorbuses would not help a great deal, but that the licensing committee would like to control all traffic. The corporation declined to disclose to the inspector when negotiations for the joint service to Halifax were opened.
Messrs. Holdsworth were applicants for a licence for a Service to Leeds, via Tyersal, Odsal and Farsley, and although they run a service at the present time they cannot pick up passengers in Leeds, except those who hold return tickets. The Leeds watch com
mittee holds that the existing service is adequate, as the Yorkshire Woollen District Tramways Co. provide a service via Cleckheaton, and it objects to the issue of the licence on the grounds d congestion.