S.M.T. Has Not Met Public Needs ?
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DESPITE objections by British Railways and the Scottish Motor Traction Co., Ltd., last week, the Scottish . Licensing Authority in Edinburgh granted an application by Mr. T W. Wiles, Links Garage, Port Seton, to run a bus service between Port Seton bus station and Haddington High Street.
The Licensing Authority said: " We have decided to grant the application. We have knowledge that the S.M.T. in 1947 was approached with regard to such a service and did not regard it as necessary, claiming that existing facilities were adequate. Evidence we have heard to-day reveals more than a moderate dissatisfaction with existing trankport provisions."
Witbesseslor,the applicant referred to their fear that the "railway service between Haddington and Lotigniddry might be withdrawn:. was-daimed on behalf .f British RailWays. however, that:, no decisionhad yet been taken with.tegard to the withdrawal or the retention Of this particular passenger service, and a spokesman for the S.M.T. clainied!that if the railway service were withdrawn, consideration Would be
to extending " the existing bus servides between Haddington and the coast.
BRITISH TRANSPORT STOCK FOR S.M.T. SHAREHOLDERS
I UNDERSTAND, writes n Scottish 'correspondent, that the block ot abtint £7,900,000 of British Transport Stock for which a quotation Was recently granted, was issued largely to the minority shareholders of the Thomas Tilling and Scottish Motor Traction groups. Of this amount £2,900,000 went to minority shareholders in the Scottish Motor Traction Co., Ltd.
The bulk of this sum, I believe, will be distributed to the Alexander family of Falkirk, who retained a substantial interest in the business of W. Alexander and Sons, Ltd., when it was incorporated in the S.M.T. group.
The biggest individual share t,oes to Mr. W. Alexander, Stir., whilst his son, Walter, rece'.ves the next largest portion: Now that the minority group has been paid out, shareholders in S.M.T. are waiting to hear their directors' plans for a big capital repayment.
SCOTTISH TOUR RECORD
A LARGE increase in the number of ricoach tours to Scotland was reported by Mr. Tom Johnston, chairman of the Scottish Tourist Board, at a Press conference in Edinburgh, last Friday. About 100,000 people an increase of 40 per cent, on last year's total) would see Scotland this year between April and October by means of coach tours from south of the border, he said.
OBITUARY
VIEregret to announce the death of MR. P BOWEN DAVIES, who represented the Firestone Tyre and Rubber Co., Ltd., in Devon and Cornwall, He was 51 years old.
cI 0 SERVICE VEHICLES: LIGHTING CONCESSIONS TO END • WITHDRAWAL of special war-time VV concessions and the variation of pre-war concessions in connection with lighting allowed to vehicles used for certain naval, military and air-force purposes are proposed by the Minister of Transport. He is in consultation with Service Departments concerning the Road Vehicles Lighting (Special Exemption) Regulations, 1930, and the Road Vehicles Lighting (Special Exemption) Provisionld Regulations made in 1940 and 1941.
700 ATTEND EXIDE DINNER , . •
DELEGATES from South South Africa, Denmark, Holland and Norway were among the 700 present at the dinner at Blackpool Winter Gardens, which was the highlight of the Exide Convention, revived last week after a break of 10 years. Mr. A. W. Browne, 0.B.E., M.I.E.E., chairman of the Chloride Electrical Storage Co., Ltd., presided.
IN A LINE OR TWO Clydebank Co-operative Society is planning to start a public taxi service shortly.
Commercial vehicles will form part of the exports that Argentina will accept under the five-year barter trade agreement signed on Monday.
In future, the sale and servicing of Leyland vehicles in Trinidad will be handled by Trinidad Agencies, Ltd., Port of Spain.
A new model of the Ferguson tractor, which will be equipped with an engine using vaporizing oil, will shortly be available. It will cost .£335.
Sixty-three employees of C.A.V., Ltd., who had had at least 25 years' service, recently received presentations from Mr. W. A. Craig, director and joint general manager.
A subject index and a synopsis of each of the 1,500 British standards now current are included in the Yearbook of the British Standards Institution, Copies at 5s. can be obtained from the Institution, 24. Victoria Street, London, S.W.1.