Cromer Declining : Figures Poor
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r‘13,11ECTIONS were lodged by the V./ Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Co., Ltd., Eastern Counties Omnibus Co., Ltd., and British Railways at Leicester, last week, when T. W. Block
ley and Sons. Ltd., sought to pick up and set down in the city centre on their express service between lbstock and Cromer.
Mr, A. J. F. Wrottesley, for British Railways, told the East Midland Traffic Commissioners that although there Were now no direct rail passenger facilities between Leicester and Cromer, it was propOsed to run a through train on Saturdays during the summer period over a longer route at special fares. •
Mr. T. Griffiths, for the bus companies, said B.M.M.O. and Eastern Counties were running a joint through express service to Cromer, connecting at King's Lynn, to cater for Leicester holiday traffic. This followed negotiations with the railways when rail services ended.
Mr. 5. Rodgers, for Block ley's, submitted that, as existing operators, the company should pick up in the city centre instead of at Glenfield on the boundary. The service had been in operation since 1955 and was licensed to run on the last Saturday in July and the first four in August.
Demand from lbstock had gradually decreased, and 'the vehicle allowance had never been used to the full.
More than 80 per cent, of their loadings were now at Glenfield, mainly consisting of people in the Leicester area. BlockleyS required a city picking-up point to enable them to operate economically.
Mr. D. M. Kirby, who is assistant district superintendent of" Midland Red !' said Blockley's proposed point was within three minutes' walk of the B.M.M.O. bus station and would be in direct competition for holiday traffic.
Refusing the application, the chairman, Mr. Charles Hodgson; said Blockley's were originally kept out of Leicester to protect the city operators. No evidence of need had been produced and their figures were depressing—at a time when the popularity of Cromer appeared to be decreasing in Leicester, they wanted to enter the city.
"PRIVATE. HAULIERS KEEP DOWN SHOP PRICES"
TREE-ENTERPRISE road haulage, by U keeping competition alive in the world of transport, keeps down the costs of industrial production and the cost of
distributing what is ,produced. This point was stressed last week by Mr. R. N. Ingram, national chairman of the Road Haulage Association, at the annual dinner of the R.H.A.'s North Western (Western) Area.
"This means," he explained, "that the ordinary man and woman pays lower prices in the shops than might have been justified by.the pressure of all the other costs which go, to make the price of a ,manufactured article."
Discussing rOad taxation, Mr. Ingram pointed out that road users paid a banns to the ordinary taxpayer because they contributed more to national funds.
Mr. Ingram added that many active Socialists were not enthusiastic about the transport nationalization plans. It was only a few of the Socialist ." higher hierarchy" who were determined to have their fling; they hoped to persuade the public that the payment of colossal subsidies for a nationalized transport system was a good .investment.
H.P. DEBT RISES
THE purchase of motor vehicles prob
ably accounted for a 3 per cent. rise in hire-purchase and other instalment debts during February, according to the Board of Trade. Figures issued last week show that on February 28 a total of .£664m. was owed.