No Action Against Irregular Use of Day Returns
Page 37
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BY A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
NO action is likely to be taken generally by the Licensing Authorities against bus operators who, on receipt of payment of a supplement, at present permit passengers to use the inward half of cheap day
return tickets other than on the day of issue. Steps may, however, be taken to stop the practice on competing services.
This is understood to have been the outcome of a discussion on the subject which the Licensing Authorities had recently in London. The matter was raised by the South Wales Authority, Mr. C. R. Hodgson, who expressed astonishment at the practice when he first became aware of it last month (The Commercial Motor, July 13).
Operators should not, however, take the decision as a national precedent. The Licensing Authorities, of course, have individual jurisdiction in the matter.
Mr. Hodgson has made his own view clear: " it is wrong in principle," he says. "Cheap-day return tickets shotild not be available except on the day of issue."
CAIRNS FOR SCHOOL TRIPS
TEN Albion Cairn underfloor-engined vehicles have been ordered by Glasgow Education Department to take children from their homes to special schools and return them later in the day. The department has used petrol Albions since 1925: its new order follows a trial of a Cairn since 1954.
The vehicles will also deliver school meals to various centres.
WESCOL APPLICATION REFUSED
2-1 A SPECIAL A licence for a lorry based in Bury has been refused by the North-Western Licensing Authority. The applicants were Wescoi (Bradford), Ltd., County Garage, Trinity Lane, Ripon.
Crosville Excursions Alleged Inadequate
BECAUSE the main operators in the area Crosville Motor Services, Ltd., grouped their excursion and tour licences from Middlewich through Nantwich and Sand bach, Middlewich was starved of reasonable facilities, Mr. H. Backhouse told the North-Western Licensing Authority at Manchester on Tuesday.
He was appearing for Messrs. A. E. mnd R. I. Niddrie, Middlewich, who applied for a new excursion and tour licence from Middlewich with 78 destinations, and additional picking-up points at Byley, Sproston and the U.S. Air Force base at Cranage. Crosville, North Western Road Car Co., Ltd., and Messrs. E. J. Bostock and Sons, Congleton, objected.
Mr. Backhouse said that until Niddrie's application was published, Middlewich (population 6,500) was used as a make-weight by Crosville.
Crosville were State-owned and it was a nice question whether the public ought not to be given the facility of • private, healthy competition. Since the application was published, Crosville had stepped up the number of destinations offered from Middlewich.
Cross-examining Cllr. R. Smallwood, who supported the application on behalf of Middlewich Urban District Council, Mr. J. Granville Dixon, for Crosville, said they had provided the local stage services for many years and were the initiators of excursions in the area.
Had the council considered, he asked, whether it would be economic for two operators to be licensed in this small area? If the application were granted, abstraction of Crosville traffic would arise. Cllr. Smallwood replied that there was a public demand and Crosville were not fulfilling it.
The hearing was adjourned.
SAVING 75 HOURS A WEEK
SEVENTY-FIVE hours a week in loading time are being saved by Sher.burn Hill Co-operative Society at their Wheatley Hill depot by means of a new system. Each of their 14 vehicles backs on to a separate door opening on to the loading bay. Each driver has a key to his own door, which is of the upward-sliding type, and takes trays from racks in the bay.
LONDON—POCKET SIZE
SELLING at 3s. 6d. with board cover, a new pocket-size map of Central London, published by Foldex, Ltd., 45 Mitchell Street, London, E.C.1, combines compactness with clarity and profusion of detailed information. The scale is 4 in. to the mile. There is a street index.
Although intended mainly for the tourist or visitor to London, the map would be useful to drivers who have to make calls in lesser-known streets. Oneway streets are indicated, also garages and park ing places.