BR MANAGER TALKS OF 'CONFLICT OF LOYALTIES'
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THE hearing of express licence applications by C. H. Rickards (Tours) Ltd, and Thames Valley Traction Co. Ltd. at an adjourned joint sitting of the Metropolitan and South Eastern Traffic Commissioners was resumed in London last week.
Both companies were seeking to run coach services between Reading station and London Airport, British Railways supporting Thames Valley's application. Rickards' existing service between Slough and Heathrow would cease if the new service was introduced.
Mr. J. A. Stevenson, traffic manager, Thames Valley, said a check revealed that 140 people travelling by air had used its stage carriage service B from Reading to Heathrow between January 2 and 8. Using the fluctuation ratio from the Slough service, it was estimated that 12,700 passengers would use the new service. He further calculated that service B would lose £2,500 a year if Rickards' application was granted. He denied that BR had received the "cold shoulder" from Thames Valley when the High Wycombe service was inaugurated but that shortage of staff had made the quotation too high.
Mr. M. H. Jackson-Lipkin, for Rickards, invited the Commissioners to study CommEacim. MOTOR'S bus fleet analysis, which showed that Thames Valley had only six coaches.
Mr. Stevenson said that South Midland, also part of the Tilling Group, ran 39 coaches. He confirmed that coaches in Thames Valley livery could be seen at Duple's in Hendon, since orders had to be placed early. Destination boards advertising this new service were easily removable.
Mr. F. D. Pattison, BR London divisional manager, Western Region, confirmed that he was also a director of Thames Valley but that his appointment to the board has been made by the Transport Holding Co., its parent company, on the advice of the BR Board and arose from the continued close working of the two organizations.
Mr. Pattison said: '"We were sufficiently encouraged by the first full year's experience at Slough, running at the rate of 18,000 passengers a year, to see if we could expand the service still further." BR would be linking at least 80 trains daily at Reading with coaches about every hour and would be advertising a through service from the passenger's station to Heathrow. This factor had strongly influenced his decision to support the Reading-based firm.
Asked by counsel whether it were not impossible for him to be impartial, Mr. Pattison said that the commercial considerations were of paramount importance. He agreed there was a conflict of loyalties and said: "I felt I must not flinch from taking this unpalatable step if I thought it was the right thing to do."
Mr. Jackson-Lipkin said Rickards was the existing operator and the loss of the Slough service would jeopardize the other four railhead/ Heathrow services.
For Thames Valley, Mr. S. D. Herington said:
"I ask you to accept Mr. Pattison's judgment... that it is an important factor that additional vehicles will be available from the Reading end." The Commissioners reserved their decision.