Dispute Over South Wales Workers'
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Services
QPECIAL conditions on a Mon mouthshire operator's service between Ebbw Vale and Newport, made as recently as last May, were partly relaxed by the South Wales Licensing Authority, Mr. Trevor Morgan, K.C., last week. The Authority said that there had been a material increase in employment in the area and that many people had been driven from rail to road by high fares, and for other realons.
Owing to the great industrial expansion in the Pontypool-Newport area, Jones' Omnibus Services, Ltd., Aberbeeg, Mori, was applying for removal of these conditions, for an extension to Pontypool Town Hall and for permission to introduce season and brokenjourney tickets.
Railway Executive Objects
Objectors were the Great Western Railway Co. and the Railway Executive of the Western Region, the Western Welsh Omnibus Co., Ltd., Red and White Services, Ltd., and Messrs. Ralphs Garage.
Applications for a new service over the same area were also presented by Messrs. Parfitts Motor Services, Rhymney Bridge, Messrs. Lanes Motor Garage, Pengam, and Bryn Motor Co., Ltd., Pontllanfraith.
Mr. Chivers opened the hearing on behalf of Bryn Motor Co., Ltd., and said that the application arose primarily out of the needs of the day-workers engaged at the British Nylon Spinners' factory now in course of construction at Pontypool.
Mr. V. H. Davies, of Abercarn, said the special service operated by Messrs. MeAlpines departed from the works at 4.30 p.m. but the workers living in the outlying areas of New Inn and adjacent villages did not finish until 5.15 p.m. and had to make use of the ordinary services, which were inadequate.
Mr. W. T. Markham, an electrician. said he travelled to work on one of the buses on a contract service for Sir Robert McAlpine and Sons.
Question Not Answered The Licensing Authority asked: "Do you pay anything?" He said, " I would prefer not to answer that question," but added that he had to pay On the return journey.
"But you really travel both ways, as it is, for a single fare ? We shall have to look into this question of the contract buses."
Mr. Meurig Evans, for Jones' Omnibus Services, Ltd., pointed out that the Authority had granted, on May 9, permission to run a service from Ebbw Vale to Newport via Pontypool, subject to certain restrictions, the principal one being that the buses were not allowed to pick up or set down passengers between Pontypool and Newport. The first part of the application was to vary that restriction.
Mr. Evans said that the workers left behind at the various stopping places were incensed to find Jones' buses run-. fling past them half empty.
The• Western Welsh Omnibus Co., -a26
Ltd., had told them. 'We are sorry. We have not the manpower or the buses to do anything about it at the moment." He submitted that he could produce strong and convincing evidence to support his application for the granting of permission to pick up along this route.
Mr. F. H. Davies, for the G.W.R., spoke of the train services available between Newport and Pontypool, but the witness said that the fares were prohibitive. Since the last increase in fares the extra volume of traffic thrown on to road transport was " phenomenal." The cutting out of the " basic " had further aggravated it.
Mr. J. Heaton, chairman of a public protest meeting which had been called, said: "The public are getting very tired of the 'Western Welsh' trying to run the whole show. You are not giving us satisfaction or anything like an adequate service."
Mr. A. Pengelley, for the Western Welsh Omnibus Co., Ltd., called Mr. R. C. Morgan, a traffic clerk, who submitted a census showing that the number of people left behind was comparatively small. When Mr. F. H. Davies announced to the Licensing Authority that he was representing the 'Great Western Railway Co. and its successor, the Railway Executive of the Western Region," this drew from the Authority the comment that he did not think that he had "met these gentlemen before."
Mr. Davies said that the question of reviving the cheap day ticket every day of the week was under consideration. There were 31 trains a day between Pontypool and Newport and, .in view of possible changes in railway transport, he suggested that it was unadvisable at the present moment to remove the applicant's special conditions.
The Licensing Authority said that in the case of the applications by Messrs.
Parfitts Motor ,Services. Messrs. Lanes "Motor Garage and the Bryn Motor Co., Ltd., be would like time to consider the matter.
As to the application by Jones' Oriinibus Services, Ltd., for the variation of conditions, the Authority said the company had produced a considerable volume of evidence, but there was a direct conflict of evidence between parties as to the conditions prevailing along the route and that placed the Authority in a difficult position.
Conditions Relaxed They had decided to remove the con-. ditions from 1 p.m. onwards each day. The applicant would be allowed to pick up after that time all along the route and on Saturday the privilege would be extended throughout the day. This would be allowed to continue as an experiment until the licence expired in June next (1948). It might then be that the old-established operators at present suffering many hardships and handicaps would be in a better position.
The Authority did not grant the request to operate as far as the Town Hall in Pontypool. Strong opposition had been presented by Pontypool Council, in view of the already congested position said to be prevailing in that area.