BRIEF ITEMS OF NEWS FROM THE TRAFFIC AREAS
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Gretna Bus Routes Disputed.
At the recent sitting of the Southern Scotland Commissioners at Maxwelltown, when applications in respect of the Carlisle-Dumfries and CarlisleGretna routes were being considered, the L.N.E.R. and L.M.S. companies, raising objections on the now familiar grounds, met arguments which it was found difficult to answer.
It was stated that in 1925 the railway carried 17,000 passengers between Carlisle and Gretna Green ; in 1930 the number was reduced to 7,000. Mr.
B42 Huntingdon, who was applying on behalf of Messrs. Huntingdon Brothers for a road-service licence, was asked to suggest why that number had fallen. He repliet that the reduction was due to the railway not running suitable trains for workers, and explained that his buses carried nearly 100 workers each morning between 6.50 a.m. and 9 a.m. When these workers asked the railway company for facilities they could not get them, so that the buses were really only taking the traffic which the railway company refused. Excursions From Single Towns Only.
The Commissioners for the Northwestern Area at Blackburn, a few days ago, dealt with applications for tours originating in Blackburn, but involving the picking up of passengers at other points en route. One operator wanted to pick up at several towns, including Preston, Burnley, Lancaster, Bolton and Darwen. The Commissioners explained that if similar tours, originating in those other towns, also were licensed there would be a state of chaos, and this must be prevented.
Cook's Tours From -London Restricted.
Last week considerable time wag devoted by the Metropolitan Traffic Commissioner to dealing with applications made by Thomas Cook and Son, Ltd., to run motor-coach excursions and tours in London and from London to such places as Windsor Castle, Hampton Court, etc. The applicant asked to be allowed to collect passengers from various centres, bringing them to headquarters at Berkeley Street, where they would be sorted, as in the past.
The Commissioner said there would not be much difficulty with regard to the tours of London, but the others would have to be treated as tours from Berkeley Street, with perhaps one other pickup en route, outside the central area if necessary. The company said that this would adversely affect the business. The excursions were small items in tour itineraries arranged in America and elsewhere, which cost 1200 or more. The tourists wished to be picked up at their hotels, as was done in Continental cities, it was stated that more than 10,000 passengers were carried last year on the "seeing London" tours.
The Commissioner replied that there were plenty of ways of getting to Berkeley Street, and referred to his previous warnings that operators should arrange to start tours from private property.
Elliott Bothers (Bournemouth), Ltd.
At the Bournemouth sitting of the Southern Commissioners last week the applications of Elliott Brothers (Bournemouth), Ltd., for road-service licences came up for hearing. The company gave detailed traffic figures in support of its claim of serving the public needs on its various routes. Despite this, the objecting railways complained about the information submitted. The Booking Agents' Meeting.
A report on last Thursday's public meeting in London, called by the Booking Agents Association of Great Britain, Ltd., will appear in our next issue. The resolutions framed for submission to the meeting were, first, to give the committee of the association instructions to take steps to safeguard the interests of agents and, secondly, to draw the attention of the Minister of Transport to the increase of unemployment in the motor coach industry due to curtailment of established services.
The main object of the meeting, as explained on page 114 of our issue dated ,September 8th, was to discuss the severe blow which booking agents will have to face in the event of a widespread extension of the Northern Commissioners' proposal to impose licence conditigns limiting to 5 per cent, the amount of commission paid by operators to agents.