Independent beats Midland Red
Page 21
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
MIDLAND RED North has failed to block the grant of full-term licence authority for two stage services in the Cannock area, which have been operated on short-term licences by Blue Bus Services of Rugeley since last October.
The company had applied for licences for hourly services from Cannock to Hightown and Wimblebury.
Colin Chatto, Midland Red's chief traffic officer, maintained that the company's services in the area had been affected by the Blue Bus operation.
Since October, it was estimated that it would cost Midland Red £12,000 a year in lost passenger revenue.
The company was already in some financial difficulty in Staffordshire with a likely shortfall in revenue support for the current year of 050,000; it is discussing service cuts with the county council, Consequently, the company needed to increase fares in the area by 11 per cent instead of by seven per cent as planned, That would cut its current 600,000 passenger journeys a year by 8,000 journeys.
Blue Bus Services director Keith Myatt said it had looked at how it could improve existing services in the area following requests from the public. The proposals had been discussed with the county and were designed to be well away from journeys provided by other operators.
There had been a good response since the introduction of the services, which each carried around 300 passengers per day. They provided a service at times and in some areas unserved by other operators.
Mr Myatt maintained that most passengers carried were the result of generation of new traffic and had not been taken from Midland Red.
Michael Waller, for Midland Red, argued that the limited benefits to a small number of people were outweighed by the damage to Midlands Red's services.
Commissioners' chairman Ronald Jackson said they were satisfied that to refuse the application would be against the public interest.
Where applications had been discussed with the county, which was both co-ordinator and paymaster, and the county did not object, the Commissioners felt safe to say they had the tacit approval of the county.
'Clayton Jones Coach Tours, the South Wales independent which has been thwarted in previous attempts to launch new stage bus services, has lodged three more applications with the South Wales Traffic Commissioners.
It is planning to run three circular services in Pontypridd, all with an hourly daytime frequency, two with an hourly evening service, the other twohourly and to provide less frequent runs on Sundays.
Previous plans by the company have been opposed by Taff Ely Borough Council and National Welsh.