Mr. Robinson to Revoke Phillipsons' Licence?
Page 46
Page 47
Page 48
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Important Case Under Section 74 Raises Interavailability Issue THE adjourned hearing of a charge against Phillipsons Motor Coaches, Ltd., of a breach of conditions under Section 74 of the Road Traffic Act, 1930, was held last week, by Mr. Gleeson Robinson, Metropolitan Traffic Commissioner. The Phillipsons COTIcern, represented by Mr. E. S. Herbert, admitted the facts and did not dispute the evidence, the defence being that what had been done did not constitute a breach of conditions.
Orange Bros., Ltd. (associated with Phillipsons), issued a return ticket at schedule fares to Boroughbridge, the outward journey to be taken on the company's coach, and the return
journey on •a Phillipsons vehicle. As interavailability of tickets between the two companies had been refused by the Metropolitan Commissioner, Phillipsons was stated to have carried a passenger from Boroughbridge to London at less than schedule, i.e., single, fare.
Denying the alleged breach, Mr. Herbert argued that there were only two ways of approaching the charge. The passenger was under contract with Orange Bros., Ltd., to be taken to Boroughbridge and to be brought back to London. For this he was paying
full schedule fare. On the return journey he was tiansported by Phillipsons, acting as carrying agent for Orange Bros. under a separate a;reement. The former concern had no contract with the passenger and could not, therefore, be said to be carrying him excepting as agent for Orange Bros.
Alternatively, Mr. Herbert submitted that Phillipsons not only did not carry the passenger at a separate fare within the meaning of Section 61 (2) of the Act, but conveyed him free and, therefore, could not have been guilty of a breach of conditions.
Mr. Herbert stated that his client had acted knowingly, with a view to making a test case of the principle involved. Whether, the Commissioner revoked or suspended the licence, the Phillipsons company would ehalknge his ruling in the courts.
The Commissioner refused to accept Mr. Herbert's reasonings, saying that it was a very bad case. An unsuccessful application had been made for interavailability of tickets between the Phillipsons and associated companies, Orange Bros., Ltd., United Automobile Services, Ltd., and Majestic Saloon Coaches, Ltd. The applicants sought t) gain a competitive advantage over Charlton's Blue Safety Coaches, Ltd., declared Mr. Robinson, and, as it was his duty to protect such an operator against undue competition, the application had been refused.
The breach was further aggravated by the issue of a letter to agents, marked "private and confidential," in which they were invited to issue interavailable -tickets, in spite of the commissioner's refusal to allow them. Mr. Robinson would not accept Mr. IIerbert's statement that Phillipsons had acted with a view to making a test case of the issue. The company always had the remedy of an appeal or a new application.
TheCommissioner would announce his decision shortly.
CHANGE OF POLICY IN EXTENDED TOURS
THE North-Western Traffic Commissioners propose to reVerse their policy of granting separate licences for extended or " all-in " tours, and to revert to the former method of merging them with the ordinary excursion and tours licences. They complain of instances of lack of control, particularly with regard to picking-up points.
Presumably, the decision will make no difference in such cases as that of Ribble Motor Services, Ltd., which, in certain acquisitions, has retained the extended tours in its own name and transferred the ordinary excursions and tours to the name of one of the purchased companies.
Mr. W. Chamberlain, chairman of the Commissioners, announced the proposed change of policy on an application by the North-Western Road Car Co., Ltd., to take over the Blackpool
excursion facilities of Mr. J. H. Robinson, of Oldham. Although this application was withdrawn, he said, it. had prompted the Commissioners to review the whole position with regard to excursion and tours licences. An important principle appeared to be involved.
The Commissioners had always held the view that the public should be given a wide range of destinations from which to choose. As many as 150 destinations were specified on some licences, whilst certain operators confined their activities to Blackpool at
holiday periods. It was difficult to imagine what position would arise if bartering went on to the extent of buying one destination from a long list.
EXCELLENT RESULTS AT BRADFORD.
BRADFORD Corporation's bus undertaking made £16,074 more net profit during the past financial year than in the preceding year, the profit having increased from £937 to £17,011. The department generally has made a net profit of £39,639 for
the past 12 months a total reversal of the position two years ago, when there was a loss of £41,000.
The only section which has not shown a profit on the past year is the trolleybus department, but here the net loss, £6,366, is less than half the £15,463. deficit in the preceding year.
The tramways section made a net profit of £28,325 (£9,038 higher).
The whole undertaking's income was £734,675, an increase of £4,409, but working expenses also rose by £4,690 to £618,041. Gross profits decreased by £281 to £116,634, but there was a big saving on interest and sinking-fund charges, which dropped by £34,963 to £76,995.
The number of passengers carried increased by 1,151,170 to 11,246,270. The trolleybuses showed an increase of 4,656,738 passengers, the motorbuses a rise of 637,755, and the trams a decrease of 4,143,323.
EDINBURGH'S PROFIT LOWER.
LAST year, Edinburgh Corporation's bus undertaking worked at a net profit of £1,665, as compared with £12,205 a year earlier. The traffic expenses rose from £92,610 to £102,305, wages absorbed a sum of £84,950, licences £13,000, repairs and maintenance £49,000, and interest and sinking-fund charges £12,730.
S.M.T. BORDER MONOPOLY.
AVIRTUAL monopoly in the Border districts has been secured by the Scottish Motor Traction Co., Ltd., as the result of the acquisition of the Bowens, Dick Bros., Herds, Swords and Westwood and Smith independent undertakings.
LATE MR. C. C. TAYLOR'S WILL.
THE will of the late Mr. Claude Crosland Taylor, head of Crosville Motor Services, Ltd., has been proved at £45,797 gross.
BIG "NATIONAL" SCHEME INTRODUCED
SMOOTHLY, the new co-ordinated time-tables of the Southern and Western National concerns came into force, last Saturday, at the Victoria Coach Station, London, when, at 8.15 a.m., seven coaches departed simultaneously for the south and west of England. There were two coaches each for Torquay and Ilfracombe, and one each for Bournemouth, Lynton and Plymouth.
The new co-ordinated services, due to recent acquisitions by " Southern National" and " Western National," are to be known as the "Royal Blue National" system, and will include all the long-distance operations of the two companies. Daily departures have been reduced to 17, of wnich 13 are on the Bournemouth and four on the Salisbury routes. Bournemouth becomes an important coach junction.
In some cases, the number of through coaches to various destinations has been increased, whilst there are also alternative routes, which enable passev-gets to vary their outward and return Journeys.
With the exception of about half a dozen independent operators, the London-Bournemouth and LondonDevon-Cornwall routes have become the monopoly of the National group.
CHEAP FARES REFUSED.
THE North-Western Tfaffie Commis!. sioners announce their deeisiorii to refuse cheap daTreturn fares on the express services between Blackpool and Scarborough run jointly by Ribble Motor Services, Ltd., and the West Yorkshire Road Car Co., Ltd.
CAR OWNERS PREFER COACH TOURS.
DURING.the hearing of an application for long-distance coach-tour licences, at Hull, a witness for ft. Barr (Leeds), Ltd., stated that 70 per cent. of the persons who used the company's tours owned cars, but preferred to go on tour by coach. The Barr concern sought permission to run tours from Hull. It was stated that during the past three weeks the company had carried 35 people from Hull on long-distance tours; of this number, 14 who went on the Scottish Highlands tour had had to stay the night in Leeds at their own expense, in order to join the coach.
The Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners reserved their decision.
NEWPORT REJECTS W.VV.O.C. OFFER
KIEWPORT (Mon.) Town Council Ilhas, by a big majority, decided not to entertain the terms offered by the Western Welsh Omnibus Co., Ltd., for the acquisition of a half interest in the municipal transport undertaking. This decision was reached on principle, without reference to the details of the offer.
Whilst some members thought that the details of the offer should at least be considered in the interest of the ratepayers, the overweighing argument was against admitting private enterprise. It was further contended that, if the sale, or even part sale, of the system were considered, tenders should be invited.
COMBINE COMPANIES AND INDEPENDENTS CO-OPERATE.
A MOVE has been made in Yorkshire fAtowards co-operation betWeen the large bus companies and the smaller operators, through the inter-hiring of vehicles at peak periods. Mr. Joseph Keeling, of Messrs. A. E. Keeling and Sons, Leeds, stated to one of our representatives that he is acting as hiring agent for one of the large .bus undertakings and that arrangements have been made not only for the hiring of other operators' vehicles by the company, but also for the loaning of the company's vehicles to independents, when the latter are hard pressed.
A central office fcr general interhiring among operators in Yorkshire and Lancashire has been established at Messrs. Keeling's premises, 229, Kirkstall Road, Leeds.
COMMISSIONERS "REGULARIZE .AN IRREGULARITY."
AT a sitting of the Northern Scotland Traffic Commissioners, W. Alexander and Sons, Ltd., submitted a list of season-ticket rates for the system which it acquired last year from Perth Corporation, Mr. Adam, the town clerk, stating that the charges were the same as those which the council had had in operation.
Mr. Henry Riches, chairman, pointed out that the Commissioners had never sanctioned a season-ticket system for Perth Corporation, and that all they could do now was to " regularize an irregularity."
MR. STIRK ON UNREASONABLE OBJECTIONS.
" nOG does not eat dog," said Mr,
LJ J. H. Stirk, chairman of the East Midland Traffic Commissioners, referring to the objections of the United Counties Omnibus Co., Ltd., Messrs. Beeden Bros. and Messrs. Yorke Bros., to the application of Mr, S. J. Knight, Northampton, for the transfer of the licences of Mr. Wilford, whose business 11.s had purchased. The objection was that Mr. Wilford had used 20-seater buses and Mr. Knight proposed to run larger machines.
Sanction was given to the use of three 20-seater buses or two 30-seaters. Mr. ,338 Stirk pointed out that the United Counties concern, a short time ago, had bought a business employing 20-seaters and had immediately placed 30-seaters on the route, without his permission. " FLEXIBLE" ROAD-RAIL CO-ORDINATION.
LTHOUGH tile Northern Traffic rl.Commissioners have refused to allow the bus companies operating on the Newcastle-Whitley Bay route to reduce their fares to ls. return, to allow them to compete fairly with the London and North Eastern Railway Co., the operators do not intend to allow the question to rest, and, it is understood, an appeal is under consideration.
The trouble on this route began about 15 months ago, when the railway, United Automobile Services, Ltd., Wakefield's Motors, Ltd., Tynemouth and District Traction Co., Ltd., and Newcastle Corporation agreed to coordinate. The railway company raised its return fare on the route from Is. to Is. 3d. and the bus companies from Is. 2d. to Is. 3d.
After a year the L.N.E.R. complained that it was losing revenue and reverted to the Is. return. The bus operators applied to the Traffic Commissioners for permission to bring their fares to this level, but were allowed only a return to the Is. 2d. fare.
Mr. H. A. Stagg (director of the Northern General concern) stated that the railways had for years preached co-ordinaticin and, when they had it, said it did not suit them.
BATLEY PROFITS BY POOLING SCHEME.
A SUM of £4,890, equivalent to a rate of 9d. in the pound, will be received by Batley Corporation as its share of the profits on local bus services, run by the Yorkshire (Woollen District) Electric Tramways, Ltd., for the past financial year. Under an agreement the corporation receives a fixed percentage of the profits.
L.N.E.R. AGAINST CONTRACT TICKETS'
OpposiTioN to 6s. 12-journey tickets on all bus routes was expressed by Mr. E. P. Merritt (for the London and North Eastern Railway Co.) at a sitting of the Northern Traffic Commissioners, when Wakefield's Motors, Ltd., Newcastle Corporation and the Tynemoutl) and District Traction Co., Ltd., applied for the renewal of licences in respect of the Newcastle-coast Route. The L.N.E.R. demanded the withdrawal of all 12journey tickets. The Commissioners reserved their decision.
Mr. Merritt complained that 12journey bus tickets were abused and, instead of being used on different days, it was quite possible, he alleged, to use them all on the same day. He quoted alleged cases of abuse in support of his arguments.
He suggested that conductors should stamp the date on each set of tickets when these were issued, to prevent abuse, but Mr. H. A. Stagg (for the bus companies) contended that this would place an excessive amount of work on the conductors. Mr. Stagg added that 12-journey ti..-lets had been in use since the Coast Road was opened almost 10 years ago.
He further alleged that 12-journey bus tickets were equivalent to railway workmen's tickets, and he declared that it was quite easy for anyone, whether a workman or not, to obtain the latter tickets. Instances of this abuse were given.
ADVICE FOR LONDON TRANSPORT.
'TRANSPORT committees to advise 1 London Transport concerning local bus services have recently been formed at Slough and Windsor. The latter body comprises representatives of the borough police, Windsor, Eton and Old Windsor Councils, and the district superintendent of the Board.