Three Councils Urged to Combine Forces
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I N Manchester, last week, Mr. W. Chamberlain, chairman of the NorthWestern Traffic Commissioners, took the unusoal course of proposing that three neighbouring corporations should join in the provision of passenger transport for Radcliffe. Lanes, and should between them discharge any debt which the abandonment of trams might impose upon Radcliffe Corporation.
There will be a joint conference, therefore, between the municipalities of Bury. Bolton and Salford. There might be difficulty, because the Lancs United Transport and Power Co., Ltd., is also in some degree interested in Radcliffe transport, and there are priority rights such as the Area Traffic Commissioners have not 'hitherto ignored.
Radcliffe's fight for transport, how ever, presents unique features. Mr. Chamberlain explained the situation as being that Radcliffe had been left high and dry with tramway liabilities, owing to more modern systems of transport being introduced.
Apparently Radcliffe obtained running powers at the beginning of the century, but in 1905 leased the trams to Bury, which has ever since been the transport aothority for Radcliffe. In 1929, buses were introduced, and since then the trams have been retained only for workpeople's and peak-period services. Salford and Bury each having abandoned further tramways, the position now arises that it no longer pays to operate the Radcliffe tramways system at all. Bury applied for extra timings to enable its bus services to cope with all the traffic and admitted to the Commissioners that it had been unable to come to any new agreement with Rad cliffe Corporation. Bolton, it was found, had been stopped at Stopes, called a wilderness on the boundary. Bury claiming the area as its own.
Without deciding the application before them, the Commissioners recommended the consideration of. Radcliffe transport as a whole, and suggested that Bury, Bolton and Salford should each run buses to the centre of Radcliffe and provide through services, also jointly taking over responsibility for the liabilities.
"MIDLAND RED" WINS APPEAL.
THE Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Co., Ltd., has won its appeal against the fares attached by the East Midland Traffic Commissioners to a road service licence in respect of a bus service from Illston-on-the-Hill to Leicester.
Under the decision of the Commissioners, Leicester Corporation, operating from Leicester to Evington village, was permitted to run a service at a lower fare than the " Midland Red," which ran on the same route to Illston-on-the-IIill.
The effect of the appeal decision is that the " Midland Red " will now be entitled to charge the same fare as Leicester Corporation between Leicester and Evington.
ALL WEST LONDON TRAMS GO
WEST LONDON is now rid ot ifY trams. Last week, London Transport's biggest conversion from trams to trolleybuses was carried out. Five new routes were brought into operation, these being from Harrow Road to West Croydon (13 miles), Mitcham to Battersea, Acton to Clapham Junction, Craven Park to Clapham Junction, and a circular service in Stratford. Two routes, from Hammersmith to Clapham Junction and Leyton to Canning Town were extended.
The change-over required the introduction of 102 new trolleybuses, bringing the fleet strength up to 686. Over 24 miles of route were affected. The mileage of trolleyous services now in operation in London is 147.
WAGES CLAIM GOES TO COMMITTEE.
claim of the Transport and TiGeneral Workers Union for an increase of 4s. per week in wages for municipal motorbus, trolleybus and tram operatives has been referred to the wages committee of the National Joint Industrial Council.
A meeting of the wages sub-committee was held in London last week. It is expected that investigation into the claim will occupy some time. The committee's draft recommendations will, in due course, be placed before the J.I.C.
AGREEMENT ON SUMMER FARES PERIOD.
INIE No. 1 (South-East) Regional 1 Sub-committee on Fares held a meeting last week, at which Mr. Selwood, of the East Kent division, was appointed a representative on the Central Fares Committee, in place of Mr. F. A. Flin.
Agreement was reached in connection with the adjustment of the period for higher summer fares, in 1938, due to the incidence of Whitstui, and the adjustment of fares on the London to Deal service, with a view to the removal of anomalies.
ALDERSHOT CO. HAS SILVER JUBILEE.
THIS year Aldershot and District 1 Traction Co., Ltd., celebrates its Silver Jubilee. The company was formed in July, 1912, to take over the Aldershot and Farnborough Motor Omnibus Co.
The later concern started, in 1906, a motorbus service from Aldershot to Farnborough, which was one of the first in the country.
In addition to a large network of local services, the Aldershot company runs long-distance coaches to London an& to the South Coast. Traffic has risen from about 500;000 passengers in 1913, to 20,000,000 for the past year.
Fantail War Waged
DURING the hearing of excursion appeals at Leeds, this week, it was said that fantail tours had grown so popular that a Lancashire coach operator had become proprietor of hotels in the south, for the purpose of accommodating his tourists.
This sidelight on coach operation was mentioned by Mr. W. R. Hargrave, who appeared for one of the appellant concerns, Sheffield United Tours, Ltd. This company appealed against the decisions of the Traffic Commissioners for the Western and South-Eastern Areas to limit the appellant's subsidiary excursions in these areas to one from any centre.
R. Barr (Leeds), Ltd. (including Wallace Arnold Tours, Ltd.), and Messrs. Feather Brothers, of Bradford, put forward similar appeals, which were conducted by Mr. Alf. Masser.
The respondent companies were the Southern National, Western National, Royal Blue Services, Devon General and Associated Motorways, Ltd., Cheltenham (all represented by Mr. Arthur G. Dennis), and the Southdown and Hants and Dorset undertakings (represented by Mr. E. S. Herbert).
The hearing of the appeals opened on Monday, before Sir Henry Wynne. Mr. 'Hargrave said that Sheffield United Tours. Ltd., had been licensed for fantail excursions for six years. The fact that other operators had come in and, by adding to the tours, had created something objectionable, ought not to deprive the company of its right to run these excursions.
Mr. Herbert replied that the 'growth of the fantail excursion had led to wasteful competition, and it became necessary to consider the question as a whole. The fantail tour, he submitted, was objectionable in itself.
The Traffic Commissioners had already rejected the proposal that those who were early operators of these
in Yorkshire
tours should be allowed to continue to do so. In restricting the fantail excursions to one per centre, the Commissioners held that if other subsidiary excursions were desired, they should be taken with local operators.
Mr. Masser compared the situation with what he described as " the battle of the Roses" a few years ago. Then, he explained, Yorkshire operators . strenuously opposed Lancashire operators coming into Yorkshire.
Dealing with Barr's tours, Mr. Masser said that they were genuine tours, and that there was actually nothing of a fantail nature about them. Southern operators, he declared, were conducting fantail tours in Yorkshire.
Mr. Herbert disagreed.
Mr. Masser also said that Messrs. Feather Brothers did not operate fantail tours. They agreed to reduce the number of vehicles in use on the tours in accordance with the Commissioners' wishes.
STANDS MOVED: RECEIPTS DROP.
IT is reported that there has been a I marked drop in the receipts of the Leeds excursion operators involved, since the coach stands have been transferred from City Square, Leeds, consequent upon the rearrangement of the traffic system in the square.
This drop is attributed to the fact that the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners have transferred the stands to Calverley Street, save that on Bank Holidays and on special occasions, when the Commissioners think fit, excursion operators may use Infirmary Street for this purpose.
In view of the effect of the transfer to Calverley Street upon the business of operators, it was decided at a meeting of Leeds passenger members of Associated Road Operators, last week, to make further representations to the Traffic Commissioners.