Yorks firms seek long-distance trips
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Two companies, A. and J. R. Davison Ltd., Brighouse, and its wholly owned subsidiary 11 miles away in Hipperholme, Charles Wood Ltd., applied to the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners in Leeds on Wednesday for nine additional long-distance day excursions. Applications by both companies to start from Brighouse were unopposed but Davison's application to start from Hipperholme and Wood's commencing from Wyke both attracted two objections.
For the applicants Mr.' J. D. Walker said two other excursions to theatres and clubs had been withdrawn to meet objections. Mr. Davison operated seven luxury coaches with a vehicle allowance of five from Brighouse and two from Hipperholme. They had never objected to applications made by the two Halifax operators because they considered their catchment area was different.
Mr. C. Davison, director, said he had had a lot of people complaining there was no variety in his excursions and with the opening of motorways, people wished to visit places they had never been before. Details of the applications had been left at one of his agents and about 30 signatures had been added thereto.
There were no stage carriage connections between Hipperholme and Halifax on Sundays to join existing excursions.
There were no linking facilities between the two Davison licences and half-filled coaches from one town could not be augmented from the other point.
Cross-examined Mr. Davison said the fare of 328 6d for the Longleat excursion had not been set 6s 6r1 below J. H. Sheard Ltd's fare to create unfair competition but because passengers still had to pay admission he wanted to keep it as low as possible. He would need 25 passengers to run economically.
Mr. J. H. Sheard, proprietor of J. H. Sheard Ltd., said he was granted excursions to Longeat and London last October and there had been vacant seats on all runs since. A third destination, in common with those applied for, was to Manchester airport, and this was well patronized.
Mr. Sheard said Hipperholme was halfway between Brighouse and Halifax, his base, and any abstraction from his new London trip would be disastrous.
The Davison and Wood applications were adjourned to the following day.