Minister Dodges Coronation Issue: Request for Guidance Ignored
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AI MED at determining what the proper period of the Coronation was and how many extra vehicles should be authorized to meet the public need during that period, an appeal lodged by the Railway Executive has been dismissed with costs.
The Minister has given no ruling on the length of the Coronation period, although representatives of both sides requested guidance, because other appeals are pending on the same grounds. The Minister states, however, that the decision on the appeal, relating to primary licences granted in the Northern Traffic Area, is without prejudice to the decision ta be given by the Metropolitan Licensing Authority on the corresponding backings.
The railways contested decisions of the Northern Licensing Authority
granting Ribble Motor Services, Ltd., Scout Motor Services, Ltd., and W. C. Standerwick, Ltd., permission to run for the Coronation up to 21 additional vehicles daily on a jointly-operated Keswick-London service from May 1 to July 31.
Mr. P. Kershaw, for the railways, declared that there was no objection to duplication for a reasonable period. Rail excursions in connection with the Coronation would be run from May 30 to June 6.
Combined Inquiry Suggested Mr. W. Blackhurst, for the respondents. asked whether it would not be better to hold a combined inquiry into the question, when other appeals on the same ground had been prepared. He said there was a great need for road services from Keswick and the surrounding area, as had been proved by the new service operated since April last year.
Both sides agreed that the need in the period under .discussion was for services of a holiday nature. In 1933, Ministerial orders had curtailed duplication to one service vehicle plus three additional ones. In 1934, the Minister had differentiated between services between industrial centres and services to holiday destinations, where much more than one-plus-three would be allowed. This, said Mr. Blackhurst, was a case in point.
The Licensing Authority had said that there was a probability and even a certainty of much private hire to London, which was not good for either road or rail. There was ample traffic for both. The figure of 57,000 passengers, which the railways had said the respondents could carry during the period in question, was a theoretical maximum. If fewer vehicles were authorized than were necessary, the concerns would be asking the Licensing Authorities for special dispensation.
In his report to the Minister, the inspector, Mr. J. M. Glen, said that it was most important that some ruling should be given on the length of the Coronation period. It did not matter if the vehicle allowance was too great for the traffic offering, because restrictions during the period were not desirable. If the period were too long, however, the companies would be getting traffic for which they had not produced evidence of need.
He suggested that the Coronation period should run from mid-May to mid-June, and the number of additional vehicles be reduced from 21 to 15. He added that this was a tentative recommendation, bearing in mind the reasonable rail services available. He also suggested that thi appellants should not be required to pay costs.
U.A.S. TOURS FOR 1953
FOUR seven-day tours are to be I offered this year by United Automobile Services, Ltd. Each is priced at £.17 10s. The destinations are John o' Groats, North Wales and the Wye Valley, the Western Peninsula and the Scottish Highlands.