Public Backs Northern Roadways: Licence Revocation Postponed
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AP.UBL1C outcry has, greeted the news, .published in "The Commercial Motor" last week, that the Minister of Transport has revoked the licences Of Northern Roadways, Ltd., for services from Glasgow and Edinburgh to London, and Glasgow to Birmingham and Scarborough.
Mr. Walter Elliot last week headed a deputation of Scottish Members of .Parliament to Mr. J. S. Maclay, Minister of Transport. The Minister was requested to reconsider his decision and he undertook to note whathad been said.
Sir Victor Warren, Lord. Provost of Glasgow, in a letter to Northern Roadways, "Ltd., said that the revocation of the licences was. "extremely detrimental to the best interests of Glasgow citizens."
Liberal Condemnation "Strong' condemnation" of the Minister's "decision to revoke the licences was rna5le by the Liberal Party Executive in a resolution passed at a London meeting last Friday. " That this action should be taken because its fares undercut those of nationalized transport services shows a lamentable disregard for , the public interest," stated the resolution.
The executive repeated the party council demand made in March that in the interests of both taxpayer and consumer, private transport should not be prevented from competing with nationalized transport.
"[he Scottish Passenger Agents.' Association and the Sottish Housewives' Association are among those which have made representations to the Minister in favour of Northern Roadways, Ltd.
Sixty drivers who are affected by the Minister's decision have called for the support of the Transport arid General Workers' Union.
Minister's Statement The Minister Announced in the House of Commons, last Friday, that the Licensing Authorities were considering allowing the services to operate until the end of the summer, so that passengers who had booked seats could be carried. His revocation Order did not specify the date on which operation was to cease.
Mr." James Callaghan suggested that the " decision " to extend the licences was unprecedented and that the Minister was in "grave danger of frustrating the will Of Parliament in appeals of this nature." He added that public inconvenience had been caused by delay in settling the appeals and by the company's acceptance of bookings . before the result of the appeals was known.
When Mr. Callaghan asked whether Northern Roadways, Ltd., would " be able to carry on bookings after the present extension has run_ out," the Minister replied that it would depend on whether a new application for licences were 'made.
It is understood that another application is to be lodged. A spokesman of the Scottish Licensing Authority said that if it were filed immediately it -would probably be heard in June.
Scottish Omnibuses, Ltd., and the Western S.M.T. Co., Ltd., offered. to carry all the passengers of Northern Roadways.
These companies said that if their applications for duplication on the scale allowed last year were granted, '1134 would be able to carry some 140,000 additional passengers. They had already booked 75,000 passengers up to the end of the season.
The English and Scottish national daily newspapers have devoted a great deal of space to the news. A statement to "The' Commercial Motor". by Mr. Gardner Napier, a director. of Northern Roadways, Ltd., is published on page 292.
GLASGOW-SCRABSTER SERVICE: DECISION RESERVED
DECISION was reserved by the Scotash Licensing Authority, last week, when Mr. J. O'Neill, of Penilee, applied to run a service three times weekly between Glasgow and Serabster, near Thurso. It was stated that present facilities were inadequate rind it Was not possible to reach Scrabster from Glasgow without an overnight halt at Inverness.
The objectors, including the Railway Executive, W. Alexander and Sons, Ltd., David MacBrayne, Ltd., and the Highland Transport Co., Ltd., claimed that no complaints had been made about the existing services.