Tour Operators Entering by Back Door?
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By seeking a picking-up and settingdown point at Carnforth on a series of Scottish tours originating at Wigan, James Smith (Wigan), Ltd., were trying to enter new territory. This was claimed by Mr. James Booth, for a number of respondents, when Smith's appealed on Monday against the North Western Traffic Commissioners' refusal of theis application.
Mr. Booth said Carnforth had been strategically chosen as a hack door to Lancaster and Morecambe, and was not a neutral point. He asked the Ministry Of Transport inspector, Mr. A. N. C'. Shelley,lo recommend that the appeal be dismissed.
For Smith's, Mr. Henry Backhouse contended that the chairman of the Commissioners had misunderstood the nature of the application. Witnesses had said they would prefer to be picked, up at Carnforth, rather than find their own way to Preston and carry their luggage across the town to the picking-up point.
It was ridiculous for the chairman of the Commissioners to suggest that a point at Carnforth would upset the whole structure of the traffic area. There was no evidence that the licensing system would he disturbed. Smith's were not asking for a new licence, but merely wanted to use the existing licence facility more conveniently for the public.
Mr. F. D. Walker represented several respondents, including Scottish Omnibuses, Ltd.. and the Western S.M.T. Co., Ltd. He agreed that it would be easier for passengers to he picked up at Carnforth, but pointed out that there were public services which they could use at Preston. There was no need to add to existing congestion on the roads, He advised the inspector to say the point was not needed; having regard to the number of people travelling and the type of evidence they had given.
The hearing was closed after five hours.