Camp "Railways' Foster Child"
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DUI-IAN'S camp at Filey, where they
had built a special branch line and station, was British Railways' foster child. When the camp was opened in 1947, the then chairman of Butlin's said that without the railways' foresight the camp could not have pulled through. The cost of each terminal passenger in 1955 was 3s., and if coach operators were to make continuous inroads they would be involved in serious loss.
This was said by Mr. Granville Dixon, objecting for the railways, at the hearing by the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners, at Leeds. on Monday, of a backing application by the North Western Road Car 'Co., Ltd., to introduce an additional picking-up and setting-down point at the camp on their express services from Manchester, Stockport and Biddulph to Scarborough, with picking-up points en route.
Passengers Have to Change Mr. John Green, for North Western, said they carried over 18,000 passengers to Bridlington and Scarborough in the 1956 season an estimated 10 per cent. of whom were for Butlin's camp. At present, passengers for the camp had to change and complete their journey by local stage services.
After a railway witness had admitted overcrowding at peak periods, the chairman, Maj. F. S. Eastwood, commented that when a 500-capacity train left the camp station with 708 passengers, and called at Bridlingtonin the hope of getting more, was there any wonder that people wanted to go by road.
Mr. Granville Dixon said it was clear that the application-had been stimulated by a similar point granted to Yorkshire Traction Co., Ltd., on their BarnsleyScarborough service. The railways' appeal against that decision had not been upheld, but the difference was that Yorkshire Traction were licensed to pick up in Filey.
There was no evidence of lack of railway facilities, he went on. It was an ill-conceived application, with no regard for camp requirements. Witnesses from Manchester were not sufficient to prove need in the York shire area. The application should be refused, An advertised point at the camp, with North Western's unlimited duplication on this group of services, must cause loss of traffic.
Mr. Green referred to the Traffic Commissioners' reasons for granting a point at Filey to Yorkshire Traction. They said they could .visualize nothing more frustrating than passengers travelling through to the town of Filey and then having to retrace their steps.
. The same thing applied to North Western's services, which passed the camp on the coast road between Bridlington and Scarborough. The railways' schedules showed they could not deal with all the traffic. It was in the public interest to sweep aside the difficulties confronting road travellers.
Decision was reserved.
The primary application will be heard in Manchester on November 9.
APPEALS FAIL: EARLY RESULT
APPEALS by two coach operators and British Railways, against a decision of the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners authorizing Park Garage (Swallownest), Ltd., to operate excursions and tours from Swallownest, have been rejected, with costs, by the Minister of Transport.
The operators were Sheffield United Tours, Ltd., and Sharpe Bros. (Beighton), Ltd.
Costs have also been awarded against Shatters, Ltd., who were unsuccessful in their appeal against the South Eastern Traffic Commissioners' grant to Southern Vectis Omnibus Co., Ltd., of a variation of conditions in respect of a stage service between Sandown and Yarmouth.
Shatters' appeal was heard as recently as September 4.
COUNCIL TO TAKE OVER?
ADECISION on whether or not to take over the town bus services at present run by the South Wales Transport Co., Ltd., was expected to be taken by Swansea Borough Council on Wednesday. The cost of the acquisition woutti he between £900,000. and Elm.