'Remarkable job' by rural bus operator

16th September 1966, Page 89

16th September 1966

Page 89

Page 89, 16th September 1966 — 'Remarkable job' by rural bus operator

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Keywords : Market Towns In England, Brandsby, Helmsley, Crayke, Business / Finance

WITH all objections withdrawn by the date of the hearing. R. and C. Shelton, of Crayke, York, trading as Reliance Motor Services Ltd., were granted a licence at Helmsley last week by Mr. H. E. Robson, chairman of the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners, to run their former 38-mile York-Helmsley service which the company had operated for 40 years, to Brandsby, a village halfway along the former route.

At the same hearing the Commissioners also granted a permanent licence to Mr. David Gray, of Ampleforth, to operate a mini-bus link between Helmsley and Brandsby to connect with the Reliance service.

These arrangements had been operated under short-term licences since June 3 this year when Reliance Motors cut their service and Mr. Gray, a motoring school owner and taxi service proprietor, entered the mini-bus p.s.v. field for the first time.

At the hearing Mr. Robson made the point that operators of rural bus transport have the right to be given additional support by being offered the private hire work in the district. If not, the public have only themselves to blame if services are cut or discontinued. In the case of Reliance this lack of private hire happened despite the fact that until recently two out of a former fleet of five vehicles had been outstationed at Helmsley.

Mrs. Carol Shelton, daughter of the founder of the company, the late Mr. Edward Sheriff of York, said that with the help of the West Yorkshire Road Car Co. Ltd., they had managed to "re-bus" their fleet and now had three vehicles including one coach. It had cost £278 a week to run the York-Helmsley service and the takings have reached £260. The company had had an overdraft at the bank since 1952, but with the yearly mileage cut from 200,252 on YorkHelmsley to an estimated 122,148 on York-Brandsby. three buses instead of the seven of the 1950s and staff cuts by withdrawing the Helmsley outstation, this overdraft had been eliminated and under the new set-up the firm was well on the way to solvency.

Mr. Robson said that Reliance was doing a remarkable job of work by keeping part of its country service going against difficult odds, and he complimented Mr. and Mrs. Shelton on their efforts.

'Remarkable job' by rural bus operator

Page 89

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