Operators Agree to Accept Restrictions on Tours
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Objections Resolved by Limiting Operation to Pre-hooked Parties and Prohibiting Advertising of Specific Journeys to Blackpool Illuminations and Midland Theatres A'ER a two-day hearing last week (part of which was reported in -last week's issue), the West Midland Licensing Authority continued this week to consider applications by a number of Midland coach operators for excursion and tour licences for work that was formerly done by private hire. They sought to operate to Blackpool illuminations and theatres in the rvIidlands.
The applicants last week were Messrs. J. T. Whittle and Sons, of Highley, near Kidderminster; Mr. C. A. Wood tWoodstone's Coaches), of Kidderminster); Mr. P. C. Powell, of Dunley, Stourport-on-Severn; Mr. -F. J. Ketley, of Stourport; Mr. I. C. Simmons, of Rock, near Bewdley; and Messrs. F. and N. Wright, of Kidderminster.
Mr. W. P. James, West Midland Licensing Authority, said that he had not decided whether decision would be given after other similar applications had been heard or after the report of the Thesiger Committee had been made known.
Two Conditions
Many of the objections were resolved by applicants agreeing to two conditions. One was that all private parties should be pre-booked and the other was that there should be no advertising of tours on any specific date.
Nevertheless, some of the small operators found strong opposition to their applications from a 'larger firm who operate over 30 coaches. On behalf of this objector, Mr. J. Else submitted that where licensed facilities already existed in a district, no new services should be licensed, even in a restricted form, unless the Authority was satisfied that the present services were fully used.
Mr. J. C. Sellers, for one of the small applicants, said that if the larger undertaking, Messrs. J. T. Whittle and Sons, were granted a licence on their present application and his client's application was refused, Messrs. Whittle would monopolize still further the traffic in Kidderminster.
He claimed that the smaller operators would not abstract traffic from the larger concerns operating from the same area. They merely wanted to continue to do work on which they had been engaged for some years by private hire.
Decision was reserved on the applications of five operators. The sixth applicant withdrew.
Loss of Liberty
The Licensing Authority resumed on Monday. Mr. Brian Bush, for Charles E. Hull, Ltd„ Hockley Heath, near Birmingham, said that the ordinary liberties of the subject were quickly and quietly being taken away, One of them was the right of any organization that wished to make a trip to do so. He stressed the importance of the principle involved in the applications.
Charles E. Hull, Ltd., were applying for a licence to carry parties to Midland theatres and -illuminations at the seaside. After hearing evidence for nearly three hours, Mr. James reserved decision.
An application by the Institute Garage, Ltd., Wythall, for an excursion and tour licence for trips to Blackpool and Leamington was refused on the ground that a case had not been made out.
The hearing concluded