Holiday Service s to be Doubled?
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DECAUSE Burnley, Caine and Nelson .1.) holidays—originally separate weeks -had been combined into 'a common fortnight, local operators were swamped at peak periods and last year twice as many coaches as those authorized conld have been filled.
This case was submitted to the North Western Traffic Commissioners at Manchester on Tuesday, when seven Lancashire excursion operators—Bracewells (Come), Ltd:, Mittens Motors: Ltd., Sandown Tours (Burnley), Ltd., A. Storey, Ltd., Y. Helliwell and Sons, Ltd., Barley Repair Depot, Ltd., and W. C. Standerwick, Ltd.—applied for increased vehicle allowances at local and general holidays. British Railways objected.
Mr. F. D. Walker, for Standerwick, said that although. Ribble. Motor SerVices, Ltd., operated express services from the area to Blackpool and Morecambe, they were not asking for protection, because they were satisfied that they would not be harmed.
Burnley, with a population of 257,000, had '44 coaches -available on any day at a normal time; Bolton had 56 coaches for 167,000 population, and Blackburn 55 coaches, 217,000 population. During the holiday fortnight, Burnley had 59 coaches, Bolton 104 and Blackburn 136, which indicated that the Burnley area was inadequately served.
Referring to the running of unauthorized vehicles at Easter and Whitson last year, Mr. E. W. Butcher, Standerwick's manager, said they were so besieged by holidaymakers that it was regarded as an emergency and a decision was taken to put on extra vehicles. • Mr. G. H. P. Barnes, for British. Railways, said most of the applicants were seeking a 100 per cent, increase at general and local holidays and if all the applications were granted, 36 more vehicles would be available.
They had sought to make a case by dramatic attacks on railway facilities. The evidence was deplorably weak. One of the biggest operators in the area had during certain periods of the year wilfully disregarded the Commissioners control. Praying in aid their own illegality by a suggestion of overbooking was no excuse.
Mr. H. Backhouse, for the private operators, submitted that it was not a major application. The facilities would be less even with the increase than before the .common holiday, when the allowances were available for eachholiday week.
• Mr. F. Williamson, chairman,. referring to irregularity by Standerwick and Bracewells. said the Commissioners could understand an occasional mistake with complicated licences, but not the attitude of Standerwick's local manager on May 20, of which they strongly'idisapproved. The only redeeming feature was that the facts had been disclosed. Decision was reserved by the Traffic Commissioners.