May Operators Change Tour Destinations ?
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ATWO-FOLD appeal to the Minister of Transport against decisions of the North-Western Traffic Commissioners was heard by Mr. J. W. Nelson, at Manchester, on September 2: The two questions raised by the appellant. Stanley Spencer Tours, Ltd., of Bury, were urged as vitally affecting all the operators of extended all-in tours.
The questions were: " Has a regular operator of such tours the right, subject to the consent of the Commissioners, to substitute a different destination for any of his tours," and " May an operator extend his touring season according to the demands of his customers? "
Mr. T M. Backhouse, counsel for the appellant, urged the need for a definite ruling by the Minister. Members of the C.M.U.A. felt keenly the necessity of knowing where they stood in the matter.
"We want to know," Mr. flackhouse said, " whether we can come .to the Commissioners and ask for the substitution of one destination for another, or whether we are simply wasting our time? "
In the cases under appeal, Mr. Backhouse informed the Inspector that the Commissioners had refused to grant the deletion of a nine-day excursion to Windsor, London and Folkestone in favour of a Scottish tour of similar character, with Shandon, near Loch Lomond, as the destination, and different routes through Lakeland scenery up to Glasgow and back, via Edinburgh. These were land cruises which the railways could not offer, and the clients of the appellant, desiring a change of tour, selected this Scottish excursion, because it did not, in any way, interfere with existing facilities. The other application was to run excursions at Easter to Torquay and Bournemouth (where the appellant has hotel accommodation) such as it runs regularly throughout the summer.
Mr. Backhouse argued that the Commissioners were obviously wrong in their decision that these tours would create wasteful competition.
Mr. P. Kershaw, for the L.M.S. and L.N.E. Railways, pointed out that Shandon was on the railway main line, and said the " need" had not been proved in either application. Mr. W. Ellackhurst Also objected, on behalf of Yellbway Motor 'Services, Ltd„ of Rochdale, to the Torquay and Bournemouth proposals, on the grounds that the Minister's decision in regard to fantail tours had stabilised the position, and that, although the appellant ran tours . to these places regularly in the summer, they were newcomers in respect of Easter operation.