Avon Coaches Lose Battle of the Operators Oppose Plain: Wilts
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and Dorset Succeed Extension of Rights HAVING, at the end of a three-day silting at Salisbury, last week, announced that he would reserve his decisions on the applications of coach operators to carry troops on week-end leave from Salisbury Plain to London. Birmingham and the North, Sir Arnold Mosta, Western Licensing Authority, next, day gave them.
He said that all the applications of. Wilts and Dorset Motor Services, Ltd., except that for a service from Amesbury to Birmingham, would be granted. Applications of Avon Coaches, Ltd., to operate from Netheravon to London and Birmingham were refused.
Mr. J. A. Whitmarsh. managing director of Avon Coaches. Ltd., was not present when the decision was given, and neither he nor his legal representative was aware of it. It was thought that Sir Arnold would not announce his lodgment until after Easter. Mr. Whitmarsh said afterwards that he would again appeal against the refusal of his application (the fourth to be made).
Other applicants were Shergold and White, Ltd., Messrs. E. and D. Stanfield, and Messrs. S. C. Shergold. Their applications were granted. The earlier part of the hearing was reported in The Commercial Motor last week.
Announcing that his decision would he reserved. Sir Arnold said that before the panics left the court. he wished in make certain observations. _
Mr. Whitmarsh had claimed to be .,ctuated by moral obligations to provide Service personnel with a direct
coach service. He tried to pose. as a public benefactor, irrespective of the decision of the court and the appeal decision of the Minister of Transport.
Careful consideration of all the evidence produced during many days of 7atient hearing had satisfied the Licensing Authority that on the contrary. Mr Whitmarsh had operated solely for own benefit and profit, and had merely flouted the orders of that court to enable him to extract from the licensed operators profitable traffic which should have been theirs.
Even during the five months when he held a licence for that work, he failed to comply with its terms and, whenever such traffic would have been unprofitable to himself, deliberately failed to provide for the Service personnel road transport facilities which he was licensed to give. On such frequent occasions he left the troops to find other means for transport as best they could.
"I want it. to be perfectly clear," said Sir Arnold. "what our view is of your conduct in operating your licence. You are not posing as a little hero to the Licensing Authority."
An appeal by the Railway Executive against the Western Licensing Autho rity's action in granting G. Miller and Son, of Cirencester, licences for week-end leave services from South Cerney to Cardiff. Birmingham and London was heard last week. The railway representative admitted that there was congestion on the railways and suggested that the Birmingham service might continue, but that the services to London and Cardiff were not justified.
R.6 IN COMMERS
THE new Perkins R.6 engine, described on pages 256-257 of this issue, can be fitted as an alternative to the P.6V unit in Commer normal-control 5-tonners and 8-10 ton tractors. The R.6 develops 108 b.h.p. and the P.6V 79 b.h.p.