46 Appeals on Co-ordination
Page 54
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APPEALS by 46 coach operators in the Manchester district were heard. on Thursday of last week, by Mr. H. J. Comyns. The appeals were lodged against the North-Western Traffic Commissioners' refusal to permit excursion and tour operators to pick up and set down passengers at stopping-places of other operators, when they were requested to do so by those particular operators. This arrangement, which was employed until 1934, applied particularly to the busy Blackpool route.
On behalf of the appellants, Mr. F. C. Hindle urged that, from the point of view of inter-availability, all the material conditions, the fares and the routes, were the same. Referring to the comments of the Commissioners with reference to the original hearing, to say that most of the operators were not unduly concerned as to the conditions of their licences was unjustified-. Further, there was nothing appearing in evidence to confirm the Commissioners' statement regarding a lack of goodwill in the running of the scheme.
The only interests to gain for the suppression of this scheme would be the railways. Had the plan not been in operation in 1930-31, there would have been more journeys. Mr. Hindle was not going to contend that Appeal Order No. 9 was popular, but he did suggest that its groundwork should not be altered.
Inter-availability of picking-up points should be allowed to continue as it was when the Order came into force.
Mr. R. R. Smylie (for the railways) said that it was not a case of the appellants to suggest that the chairman of the Commissioners should evolve a scheme ; it was for them to draw up a plan and to apply for a licence in connection with it.
" We have legitimate grounds for fear," said Mr. Edgar Lustgarten (on behalf of the North-Western Road Car Co., Ltd.), when he referred to one operator having a choice of 93 pickingup places. There were now 46 operators concerned, but there was a possibility of 20 or so more. It had been said that th,. scheme had been in operation before the passing of the 1930 Act, but before the Act came into force the industry was without organization. The Commissioners' observations had mentioned the impracticability of controt, which meant that the scheduled operators would suffer most. The granting of the appeal was also opposed by the Lancashire United Transport and Power Co., Ltd.