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Private scores a hit
Nhile the Northern Traffic mmissioners and the Departmt of Transport's Inspector were swayed by these arguments, Mr Fowler was not, and said: "I believe that the benefits outweigh any such effects, which will be minimised if Cumberland Motor Services and the County Council approach the competitive situation constructively."
After the hearing (CM, March 21), the Commissioners did comment on what they considered to be a lack of communication between Cumberland and its potential customers, and urged the company to do something about it.
Cumberland has reacted bitterly to the decision, with general manager Peter Townley accusing Mr Fowler of having set a new and much lower standard of service for buses throughout Britain.
Repeating the company's earlier threat to draft in buses from elsewhere to take on the Yeowart's service — which will operate during office hours only — Mr Townley added that the company may now be faced with having to make more staff redundant if rural services are reduced.
And, tugging at regional English heartstrings, he added: "We LEYLAND BUS have added to the range of double-deckers on the market by offering Voith transmission in their Olympian are losing passengers because of the industrial recession, and we cannot understand why far distant Whitehall has chosen this time to allow a private operator with no interest in anything but profitable routes to come into the marketplace and cream off those passengers who help us maintain the whole of our network."
Predicting the decision would have disastrous effects, Mr Townley challenged Mr Fowler: "I invite the decision makers to come and see the effects for themselves."
And he has been supported by NBC deputy chairman Robert .Brook who said: "It would appear that the decision means that bus services should be timed and priced on a volume base and cost attraction of individual services, without regard to social needs or service patterns."