Works express refused by Commissioners
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• Doig's Tours (Greenock) Ltd was refused its application for authority to switch three existing workers' express services to stage service status by the Scottish Traffic Commissioners.
The company was operating from Glasgow to Renfrew, Bridgeton Glasgow to East Kilbride and Port Glasgow to Lithgows Ltd, services which were restricted to workers.
"Bus stewards" on each bus collected the cash at the works and paid Doig's each week. The firm did not contribute, the Commissioners were told last week, and the services were all agreed and were operating on routes served by Western or Central stage carriage services. These companies objected.
Mr S. Harris, managing director, agreed that the reason for the application was to secure the benefits, available under the Acts, offered to stage services. He presented figures collected at past hearings to demonstrate how the "nationals" take advantage of all such grants and contended that it should be open to the private operators to benefit similarly.
Mr R. Farrell, for the objectors, said that what it came down to was that the company sought the right and ability to apply for full rebate and vehicle allowance payments and that these could be claimed only in respect of stage carriage services. The objectors claimed there was no case to answer and that the applicant had not made out a case for need.
Giving his decision, Mr A. B. Birnie, chairman of the Commissioners, said that they could not judge on evidence given at previous hearings but on what had been given that day. It was open to any bus operator to seek to take advantage of moneys made available if they qualify for such moneys. The qualification here was whether this was a stage service or not. In the cases heard that day they were told explicitly that the overwhelming reason was to qualify for stage carriage status and grants.
Only one letter had been offered covering a new pick-up point in one case; in the other two there was nothing — no indication of people wanting a new stop or stops or single fares. It would be wrong to make such a grant without proof of need. The Commissioners would need to know whether there was a public need and on what they had heard it was necessary to refuse the applications.