Discretionary Inclusive Charges for Tours Challenged
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SIX major coach operators appeared before the North Western Traffic Commissioners this week to defend their road service licences, which allow discretionary inclusive charges for named tours. Last year the Commissioners agreed to allow the companies to use their own discretion, but stipulated that express operators could have the position reviewed after one season.
On Tuesday, British. Railways and five express operators—YeLloway Motor . Services, Ltd.; • W, C. StanderWick, Ltd.; Ribble Motor Services, Ltd.; Scout Motor Services, Ltd.; and the North-Western Road Car Co., Ltd.—asked for an end to the system.
The hearing was initiated by Yelloway, who wanted the Commissioners to amend the licences held by Batty-Holt Touring Services, Ltd.; FlOrence Motors, Ltd.; Happiway .Tours (Manchester.), Ltd.; W. Robinson and Sons (Gt. Harwood), Ltd.; Smith's Tours (Wigan), Ltd.; and Stanley _Spencer Tours (Manchester), Ltd,
Always Objected Mr. F. D. Walker, for Yelloway, said they had always objected to the introduction of discretionary inclusive charges which include lower minimum fares for • fantail tours to the south of England than had existed prior to 1957.. The journey fare in an inclusive .charge should be • realistic. and calculated at a fair rate per mile.,
Fantail fares should not be lower than .express rates. The cost of local excursions from the destination should be taken. into account, together with that of .catchtnent area operations to a central . point. The road fare should be the
• main source of profit and bear all Operational costs.
If low minimum charges continued' to be granted, tours concerns could become as big a menace to .express operators as pseudo private party work was in the excursion field.
Incorrect Evidence Alleged
. Mr. . Walker claimed that evidence given by Smith's at the first of the applications in July .last year was materially incorrect. Mr. F. Webster, then managing director, had assured the Commissioners of two things—the journey fares were up to date, and the road fares woad not be cut. However, last
• January, Mr. Webster said that, because hoteliers were continually putting up prices, it Was necessary to bring the road fares down in the early and late season. Many of them had remained unaltered siitce 1948.
No express operator had found it possible to reduce fares during this period, and fares from Lancashire to Torquay had been considerably increased. If the original excursion minima were restored they would be satisfied.
The chairman, Mr. F. Williamson, commented that the Commissioners did not want the public to pay More unless there was proof of damage to operators.
Mr. Walker pointed out that in 1948 cZ Batty-Holt's road fare for a tour to Bournemouth and the Isle of Wight including a local excursion, was £3 15s. On the express route operated by Yelloway and Associated Motorways, the fare was £2 13s. 3d. However, since then the express fare had risen to £4 12s. 9d., whereas Batty-Holt's rate had not increased.
. Yelloway's general. manager, Mr. H; Allen, said that although fares had been increased since 1948, traffic 'had not been greatly affected. But the margin of profit per passenger had not been maintained, due to heavy increases in costs.
For Batty-Holt, Mr. H. Backhouse maintained that no case had been made out for interfering with the present system. Existing road fares worked out at about 1.25d. per mile more than express operators paid to hire coaches. In any case, the tours operators intended to work out their road fares on a mileage scale, but the process was not yet complete.
The Commissioners ruled that there was a case to answer, and ordered that the case should proceed.
MORE LEYLANDS FOR DURBAN
AN order for 25 underfloor-engined single-deck buses has been placed with Leyland Albion (Africa), Ltd., by 'Durban Corporation. The contract is stated to he worth more than £100,000.
The buses are Leyland Royal Tiger Worldmaster ERT2.1 models with twopedal control, Coachwork will be supplied by Bus Bodies (South Africa), Ltd., a Leyland associated company.
READING T.R.T.A. GUESTS
AMONG the guests at a lunch meeting of the Reading area of the Traders' Road Transport Association on December 4 will be the city's chief constable and the chairman of the highways committee. They will hear Mr. W. A. Winson, chairman of the association's London traffic committee, talking about the "Kerb Space is Precious " campaign.
£250,000 ORDER FOR FORD
IT was announced on Tuesday that the Ford Motor Co., Ltd., had received orders from Turkey for trucks, industrial engines and spare parts valued at £250,000.
B.T.C. VISIT B.R.S.
iTEMBERS of the British Transport al Commission will today visit British Road Services installations in Sheffield as part of a three-day tour of the Leeds and Sheffield areas.