Reserved Decision on Night Express Bid
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WHEN Everton Coaches Ltd. applied for a night express licence from Worcester to Great Yarmouth at Birmingham on Wednesday, the West Midland Traffic Commissioners said they were puzzled about a schedule put in by Everton of passengers who travelled on this service last summer for which a dispensation had been granted. A decision was reserved.
The chairman, Mr. J. Else, asked why on two of the departure dates passengers listed as supporting the dispensation application did not actually travel. Mr. B. M. Everton, managing director of the applicant firm, said he could not explain, except that he was not able to tell potential passengers that the service would definitely run until quite close to the departure dates.
• Presenting Everton's application, Mr. D. E. Skelding said the service was for Friday nights in July and August, returning on Saturdays a week or a fortnight later. The picking-up points sought were Droitwich, Bromsgrove Rubery, Northfield, Selley Oak and Stirchley. If the service were granted, his clients would surrender their period excursion licence for the three peak Saturdays of the Birmingham industrial holiday month from various picking-up points in Birmingham to Great Yarmouth.
There were objections from Midland Red and Flight's Tours. The latter run a `dispensation feeder service from Longbridge and Northfield to Aston to pick up their service to the resort.
Mr. Skelding said that the area of dispute was Selley Oak and the surrounding western suburbs of Birmingham. Flight's Tours were enlarging the catchment area for their Great Yarmouth service northwards from Aston, but were objecting to the right of Everton Coaches to do the same westward.
Giving evidence for Flight's Tours, Mr. A. F. Bailer, a director, claimed there was not sufficient traffic from the Selley Oak area to warrant a full-scale express service. That was why he had sought and obtained a dispensation to operate a feeder service.
Both objectors submitted that the applicants had failed to make out a case.