Deeble fails to block Western National route
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• Cornish independent E J and J K Deeble has failed to block plans by Western National to extend its Plymouth to Hannaford service to Polperro.
Deebles based its opposition on the grounds that Western National receives a subsidy that gives it an unfair commercial advantage.
For Western National, Geoffrey Jones said that in the previous two years it has extended the service to Polperro during the summer.
Subsidy
Western National receives a total network subsidy from Cornwall County Council, but revenue support does not apply to individual routes.
It was estimated that the proposed variation would improve the company's position by 27,000.
John Deeble, a partner, said that last year Western National was granted dispensation after saying there was no other operator in the area when his firm had been operating there for years.
He maintained that Western National wants to "cream off' the summer traffic when operation is profitable. His firm's summer profit enables it to provide a winter service.
He estimated that 216,000 would be lost as a result of abstraction by Western National.
He claimed that Western National used a red bus on the route last year, similar in colour to his firm's livery.
Questioned by Jones, Deeble said his firm received a 22,000 subsidy from the county for its service, but it has registered the service for operation after October, so that subsidy disappears after deregulation.
After Deeble said that Western National had offered to increase its fares to afford
some protection if it withdrew its objection, Jones said that offer, which had not been accepted, had been made without prejudice before the hearing.
Granting the application, Western Traffic Commissioner Maj Gen John Carpenter said Western National is not seeking any increase in the subsidy it receives to cover the summer operation, and Deeble had failed to show that the revenue support received by Western National placed it at an unfair commercial disadvantage in relation to this particular service.