Strong objection to holiday service bid
Page 32
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
AWITNESS from Hall Brothers Ltd. told the West Midland Traffic Commissioners, sitting in Birmingham on Tuesday, that he could not produce any evidence to• show that a single passenger from the Potteries had used Hall's express service from Coventry to Newcastle upon Tyne to travel to the north east.
Mr. Thomas Gordon, assistant traffic manager of Hall Bros., was supporting an application by Berresfords Motors Ltd. for a weekend holiday express service from Newcastle under Lyme to Mansfield to connect with Hall's service.
This was opposed by seven operators, including the Potteries Motor Traction Co. Ltd., who jointly sought backing for a weekend through service between Hanley and Newcastle. Berresfords counter-objected.
The other applicants were: West Yorkshire Road Car Co. Ltd., United Automobile Services Ltd., Northern General Transport Co. Ltd., Yorkshire Woollen District Transport Co. Ltd., North Western Road Car Co. Ltd. and Lancashire United Transport Ltd. The hearing was adjourned to a date to be fixed.
PREVIOUS HEARING At a previous hearing in June (Com.MERCIAL MOTOR, June 24) it was stated that both proposed services were primarily intended for miners who had previously worked in north-east pits but had been transferred to north Staffordshire and wished to return home for holidays. The joint operators had been granted a short-term licence to operate with two vehicles between July 1 and September 25, and Berresfords had been authorized for the three peak holiday weekends in July and August from Weston Coyney with only one vehicle. Both had had to apply for dispensations for additional vehicles.
LOADING SCHEDULES Loading schedules presented by Mr. J. A. Berresford, director and secretary, showed that his company had carried a total of 92 passengers outwards and 67 inwards.
Giving the joint operators' loadings later, Mr. P. C. Hunt, PMT's traffic manager, said that a total of 1,476 had been carried on 28 journeys, giving an average of 53 per journey compared with Berresfords' average of 14 per journey.
When the hearing was still unfinished at the end of the day, the Commissioners upheld a submission from Mr. R. 0. Sutton, for the joint operators, opposing an application by Berresfords for a short-term licence allowing them to operate next month.