Is Linking of Express Services Undesirable for the Public?
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" IF it is desired to operate longdistance express services, ought those services to be operated under one road service licence from beginning to end? Or is it proper, as we have done, to make use of the link system, connecting services with a through-service time-table, and occasionally a through coach operating on a number of road service licences?
. This principle was raised by Mr. E. S. Fay, for the appellants, at an appeal hearing held by a Ministry of Transport inspector, Sir Robert H. Tolerton, at Leeds, last week.
Yorkshire Pool Services (West Yorkshire Road Car Co., Ltd., Yorkshire Woollen District Transport Co., Ltd., Yorkshire Traction Co., Ltd., East Yorkshire Motor Services, Ltd., and East Midland Motor Services, Ltd.) appealed against a decision of the Yorkshire Licensing 'Authority refusing them duplication on their service 6etween Barnsley and Birmingham and authorization to run an overnight service.
Mr. Fay said his clients regarded Barnsley as the focal point for feeder services from other towns in the West Riding. There was increased pressure on services to the seaside on Saturdays during the summer.
Birmingham was not purely a terminal point, because the service was linked with one operated by Associated Motorways from Birmingham to Cheltenham, and from there in all directions to the south and West Country.
The most popular destinations on Saturdays appeared to be Bournemouth and Torquay. When there Were sufficient people to fill one or more coaches for those places, they ran on the appellant's licence to Birmingham, and on the Associated Motorways licence from. there to the resorts.
Mr. A. W. Goss, objecting for Mr. C. J. Littlewood a Sheffield coach operator, said that his client ran a through service from Sheffield to Torquay.
He asked the inspector to recommend to the Minister that, as a principle, it was undesirable in the public interest that a licence granted from the West Riding to Birmingham should be used to link with other licences outside the area without first obtaining the approval of the Licensing Authority.
Mr. P. Kershaw, objecting for British Railways, said that the demand, except at the peak Bank Holiday, was insufficient to justify the granting of the application. The service provided by the railways was adequate and suitable.