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Minimum Continental Fare Laid Down

21st November 1958
Page 48
Page 48, 21st November 1958 — Minimum Continental Fare Laid Down
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Keywords : Tours, Wigan

A RULING on the minimum charge ra. for a Continental tour was made by the North Western Traffic Commissioners, last week. They ordered that two tours to be operated by Happiway Tours (Manchester), Ltd., should not be run at less than 150.

Happiway had asked for two of their existing 14-day Continental tours to be increased by a day, and for a 15-day tour of Italy to be changed to a tour of the Austrian Tyrol. They were opposed by Smith's Tours (Wigan), Ltd., who claimed that wasteful competition would ensue.

Mr. A. C. Bond, Happiway's general manager, said the company had a vehicle allowance of 17 which was increased to 22 at the height of the season. Manchester was the hub of their operations, just as Wigan was Smith's major concern, so there could be no great danger of traffic abstraction.

A booking agent, Mr. F. D. Hodgkinson, saidHappiway's Continental tours were popular, and there had been considerable demand for 15-day tours. Smith's tours manager, Mr. R. Baldwin, painted out that competition was already fierce, and an operator had to fight hard to keep his rights. Smith's would be affected if the application were granted.

Mr. F. D. Walker, for Smith's, submitted that the grant of 15-day tours would allow Happiway to operate cheaper tours than Smith's. There was no concrete evidence of public demand for them, and no one appeared dissatisfied with the present arrangements.

For Happiway, Mr. T. Evans replied that Smith's appeared to be seeking insulation from competition. They had to bear in mind the facilities they had, which gave them competitive power. Smith's were allowed to go anywhere on the Continent.

Granting the ckange of destination and one of the 15-day tours, Mr. F. Williamson, chairman, said Happiway would be able to see how the change affected them. But they could not be allowed to operate at fares of less than


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