Operator refuses rural subsidy
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• A West Country operator has turned down a local government subsidy for a rural stage carriage service because "we don't wish to be a burden on the ratepayers". The operator is W. J. 0. Jennings Ltd of Rude, Cornwall, and its general manager, Mr G. Stephenson, this week has refused a £130 a year subsidy from Devon County Council for a service in a remote part of the county.
The company now has nine stage services and its 12 vehicles are now 90 per cent engaged on this type of work. Mr Stephenson told CM This week that there was a resurgence on this side of the company's business since both British Rail and Western National ceased operations in Bude. Mr Stephenson explains his success by saying that his company provides a better service with better vehicles and achieves higher vehicle and manpower utilization than previously. The company has taken over Western National's Bude garage.
All the company's vehicles are coaches, though recent ones have been purchased on the bus grant scheme. Three 57-seat Seddons with Duple Dominant bodies are now on order. The service for which a subsidy has now been refused has been operated by the company with a subsidy for three years since Western National withdrew it. In that time passenger loadings have increased sufficiently to make the market-day service a paying proposition. Mr Stephenson says that it is likely that in a year's time the company will be able to manage without a further £3000 A year subsidy for services between Okeluunpton and Exeter. In the past year these carried more than 52,000 passengers and duplicate vehicles were often needed during peak periods.
Britain's first transport co-ordinating officer, Mr Horace England, who is employed by Devon CC said that Jennings' decision was "gratifying news for local authorities and is vindication of their policy of rationalizing and recasting services in the rural areas". It proved that if a reasonable service was provided the public would use it and there Was no reason why rural services should decline.
Devon CC currently subsidizes nearly 40 Western National services together with 43 operated by private companies. This costs a total of £37,500 a year.