Sheffield United Tours seeks to extend its area
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Greater demand for tours expected in 1975
SHEFFIELD United Tours Ltd had 15,632 seats unsold out of 21,000 on offer for Continental tours during 1974, a very difficult year for operators. The same number of seats would, however, be on offer for 1975 as the company felt there would be a greater demand for tours offered by licensed coach operators. This was because a number of the larger providers of package holidays had disappeared.
This evidence was given by Mr T E Crewe, assistant operations manager (south), National Travel (North East) Ltd. before the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners at Leeds when the company's application to extend its catchment area was continued.
The proposals are for additional picking-up points on the main licence, covering 77 British and Continental tours, at Wakefield, Leeds, Harrogate, York and Huddersfield, northbound, and for new feeder services from Leeds, via Wakefield and Barnsley; from Hull via Goole and Doncaster; and from Huddersfield, southbound. The aim is to cater for regular passengers at present outside the akea directly served.
Under cross-examination by Mr P J S Thompson for Wallace Arnold Tours, Mr Crewe agreed that facilities were being sought in 11 towns compared to the four involved in Wallace Arnold's own South Yorkshire grant, but said the principle was the same.
He pointed out that Wallace Arnold could not have its cake and eat it. It had relied on the decision of the Secretary of State, concerning its appeal, which indicated that the established operator principle was no longer necessarily paramount, with regard to holiday tours, to support its own application in other traffic areas. Mr Crewe denied Sheffield United Tours had a virtual monopoly in south Yorkshire before 1972, but agreed that it had been the only operator of high-season British tours from Sheffield and Doncaster.
The hearing is to continue in January.