Novel Application for Duplicate Licences
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AREMARKABLE hearing took place in the Metropolitan Area, last week, when Red and White Services, Ltd., Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Co., Ltd., Greyhound Motors, Ltd.. Bristol Tramways and Car
riage Co., Ltd., Southern National Omnibus Co., Ltd., Western National Omnibus Co., Ltd., and United Counties Omnibus Co., Ltd., applied for duplicate licences to enable them to operate the London Aberystwyth and a London-Cheltenham service now licensed to Black and White Motor ways, Ltd. In other words, they sought that the privileges enjoyed by the last-named company be extended to members of Associated Motorways.
Mr. S. R. Preece, of Royal Blue Coaches, pointed out, when opening the case, that if the applications were granted, it would greatly facilitate the administration of Associated Motorways, owing to the mileage basis on which the pool was worked. It would also result in an economy in operating costs, extend through-booking facilities at less-than-summated fares, and en able the applicants to advertise on their handbills through fares, which, at present, they had no power to do. The last remark seemed to surprise the Commissioner, who said that he did not believe he had, under the Road Traffic Act, any jurisdiction over operators' advertising. Mr. Preece regretted that all Commissioners did not take the same broad view of the matter.
The Commissioner reserved his decision, but . he made some rather pointed remarks. He did not believe that an association of operators which did not control vehicles of its own, was a satisfactory arrangement. This was really the cause of the applicant's difficulties and could best be remedied, he thought, by reorganization.
Personally, he was not in favour of duplicate, or even joint, licences. In the present case, if he granted the duplicate licences, he was surrendering his power under the Act to punish for a breach of conditions. If a breach were committed by one holder of the licence, and if his licence were withdrawn, there would still be the other operators to carry on the service.
On the question of through bookings at less-than-summated fares, the Commissioner mentioned that the granting of duplicate licences would still not solve the problem, if there were a change-over en, route, unless the applicants were also granted interavailability—a condition for which they had not even applied.