New Type of Backdoor Entry
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" A CASE of considerable impor1-11 tance " was how the chairman
of the East Midland Traffic Co 's sioners, Mr. C. R. Hodgson, described a recent application by G. H. Waterfield, trading as Handy Coaches, of Sutton-in-Ashfield, when he reserved the decision so that the Yorkshire Commissioners, who had dealt with a previous application by Mr.Waterfield. could be consulted.
The applicant is seeking authority to operate a new express carriage service between Tibshelf and the premises of the Metal Box Co. at Sutton-in-Ashfield, to carry employees of the factory under what is described as an "assisted travel scheme."
The applicant has been carrying the employees under contract arrangements. but the management of the factory want them to make some contribution for their carriage—it was stated that if the passengers were carried free, other employees who paid for their transport would, understandably, be izggrieved. A strong reason for the application, which was urged upon the Commissioners, was that there was no existing service to get employees to work in time for early shift working, and lack of transport led to difficulties in recruiting labour.
As is usual in this type of case—and this kind of application is by no means unique—the "bread and butter" providers of stage and express services in the area objected.
At the sitting at Nottingham, Mr. J, K. Valiance, representing these objectors— the Midland General, Mansfield District and Trent Motor companies—submitted that assisted travel was wrong: such an application, stemming from a contract obtained at cheap rates, was a backdoor method of entry into licensed work. To offer fares at cut rates was wrong.
It is to be hoped that when Mr. Hodgson gives the Commissioners' decision—and at the time of writing I understand consultations with Yorkshire are still in progress—he will deal specifically and fully with the points made about assisted travel by the objectors at the original inquiry.