No New Service for Crosville
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THE North Western Traffic Commis' sioners upheld a submission of "no case" on behalf of the objectors when. at Manchester last week, they refused an application by Crosville Motor Services, Ltd., for a new express service between Warrington and Llandudno.
Webster Bros. (Wigan), Ltd.; Naylors Motor Services, Warrington; Sexton and Scragg (Widnes), 1.1d.; Shaws Coach Tours, Warrington; F. Sykes and Sons. Ltd., Warrington; and Shadivell's Coach Tours, Warrington, objected.
Mr. A. J. F. Wrottesley, for Crosville, said that in recent years Llandudno had become much more popular with Warrington people and the company had arranged special connecting services from Rhyl on Saturdays since 1955. It had been originally planned to serve Warrington by picking up there on a joint through service from Skipton to Llandudno, with Ribble Motor Services, Ltd., and Standerwick, but in September the Traffic Commissioners had indicated that if the licence was granted, Warrington• would be refused.
They then applied for a variation of their existing Warrington-Rhyl service by extending it to Llandudno, and were told by the Commissioners that it must be done by way of a new service. None of the present objectors, except Webster Bros., had opposed a daily service from Skipton, yet they now said a onceweekly service from May to September would be detrimental to them.
Crosville's Merseyside manager, Mr. C. R. Buckley„ said that although the return fare to Llandudno was published as 12s., the company had lodged an application to raise the fare by 121 per cent. Although 870 vehicles were hired from other operators in the area during the peak periods in 1956, no extra would be required if the application was granted. The company's policy now was to buy dual-purpose vehicles that could be used on both stagecarriage and express routes.
On behalf of the objectors Mr. H. Backhouse submitted that on all the evidence Crosvillc would only be creating another unrernunerative service. The figures for the connecting service between Rhyl and Llandudno showed not a single paying load. The existing fare, with the link, was 10s. single and 13s. 6d. return, yet now fares were to be 8s. 3d. single and 12s. return, compared with the period excursion fare of 21s.. a figure fixed for the protection of British Railways.
Undercutting Alleged Crosville, wholly owned by the British Transport Commission, were now seeking to undercut the existing operators. It was not challenged that the objectors' period excursions were already 25 per cent. underloaded at peaks and the Webster express service from Newton-le-Willows to Llandudno was not full before the end of June or after the middle of August.
Mr. F. Williamson, chairman, said they had come to the conclusion that there was not sufficient ground for an entirely new and important service superimposed on Crosville's existing facilities to Rhyl.