PTE licence bid
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concealed--claim
TOUR passengers lost the chance of being guaranteed a seat on West Yorks Passenger Transport Executive services from Leeds to Bradford at a hearing by the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners last week.
The PTE had intended to run a special service on the route to connect with arrivals and departures of holiday coaches operated by Heaps Tours of Leeds. Local passengers would also have been allowed to board and all passengers would have paid the same fare. The application was refused.
During the hearing the chairman of the Commissioners, Maj-Gen B. H. J. Carpenter, said that it was in the interests of everyone in the passenger transport industry that the intentions of applicants for road service licences should be made absolutely clear.
The objectors had argued that the application was concealed from potential objectors by publication in the stagecarriage section of Notices and Proceedings.
The chairman accepted that there was no intention on the part of the PTE to be devious. But it would have been more appropriate to seek an express licence.
Mr Geoffrey Steele, operations director of Wallace Arnold Tours, said his company was extremely concerned about the implication of using stage-carriage licences in the manner proposed. It would give distinct financial advantage when competing with conventional feeder services of other operators as stage services qualified for bus grants at fuel tax rebates.