Barton versus County Councils: Hants and Dorset Applies Again
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AT Nottingham, last week, the East Midlands Licensing Authority heard the application of Barton Transport, ltd., for permission to withdraw concession fares for children between 14 and 17 years old. The application was opposed by the county councils of Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire, the education committee's dl which issue vouchers to the children. Payment at half the normal rate is made by the councils, for which arrangement Barton Transport, Ltd., holds a special licence endorsement.
For the company it was stated that it was' open to the concern to terminate the arrangement with the councils at any time, and that it was not necessary to apply for permission to withdraw it If this application were granted, the children would still be able to travel at workmen's rates. The difference in cost would work -out at £2,255, to be distributed between the three authorities. Decision was reserved.
Costs Up £100,000 a Year
After having obtained permission to increase all charges in November, 1950, Hants and Dorset Motor Services, Ltd., is to make another application for a general advance. Since the previous application, the company stated recently, operating. costs -had -gone up
by £100,000 a year. It also declared that it was uneconomic to carry passen gers at workmen's fares.
Proposals have been published. therefore, to raise some fares below 6c1.by id., those between 6d. and. Is. 5d. by Id., those up to 2s. by 2d., and thereafter by Id. in-the shilling. The replacement of the workmen's ticket by a weekly one, available to passengers boarding before 8.30 a.m.. has also been suggested. The details of the application have been agreed with Poole Corporation, which Objected to some of the original suggestions.
Subsidy Question Again
The principle of subsidy was again discussed by Mr." H. J. Thom, South Wales Licensing Authority, when he heard the application of Messrs. Green's Motors, Haverfordwest, for revised charges. When an objeCtor declared that the proposed rates were unfair, because the town dweller, who already subsidized the rural charge for gas and electricity, was now expected to subsidize rural bus fares, Mr. Thorn declared that it would be possible to fix a flat late for the whole country if the bus services were under one ownership. Then the question would be,who subsidized whom? Some subsidy was essential and acceptable. It had, however, to be kept to reasonable proportions., The firm had proposed a charge of 2d. per mile for certain' routes and 21d. per mile for less remunerative ones. This suggestion, too, was opposed, although the Licensing Authority said that the two objectors' views .cancelled-.
'a32 • each other c ut. The application was granted. . • • Applying for higher charges, last • week, a Scottish firm, Messrs. A. and C. McLennan, .Spittalfield, revealed that operating costs last year were 18.87d. per mile and revenue 16.42d. per mile. There was a loss of almost 24d. per
mike. feature of the proposals of the Gateshead and District Omnibus Cu., Ltd., and Newcastle-on-Tyne Corporation to add id. to all ordinary and workmen's single fares, is that workmen's tickets will 'be available only to passengers tendering a workmen's voucher.
Additions of id. to 2d. to existing rates, according to the length cf journey, and excluding the single-stage journeys, are proposed by the Mexborough and Swinton Traction Co. Both motorbus and trolleybus routes are affected.
Higher charges have now been introduced on West Hartlepool Corporation's services. All single fares under 4d. have been raised by Id. and those above 4d. by ld. Seventeen services were affected.
New AtkinsonPlaxton Coach A N Atkinson Alpha underfloor'''. engined centre-entrance 41-seat coach, with Plaxton Venturer bodywork, was exhibited last week by -Plaxtons (Scarborough), Ltd. It is
. 30 ft. long and 8 ft. wide. Composite construction is employed, with exterior panels of aluminium. Interior side panels are in Formica and Bryfex is used for interior roof lining. The floor is unobstructed by wheel.
arches. , Tubular alloy luggage racks run the full length of the vehicle. Further luggage accommodation is provided in the 80-cubic-ft. boot at the rear. This compartment has a single-panel door . fitted with a telescopic spring support, and a lamp lights automatically when the door is moved to the" up "position.
Eight Wilmot-Breeden full-drop winding windows assist ventilation, the 3116-in. triplex Toughened safety glass running in velvet-lined channels. Above are contained transparent plastic cant panels. The front and rear roof domes are in amber Perspex. VVeathershields twin sliding roof panels are provided. The Clayton Dewandre underfloor heating system, with demister unit, is employed and the coach is equipped with H.M.V. radio.
The unladen weight of the complete vehicle is just over 8 tons.
MINISTER AS R.H.A. GUEST MR. J. S. MACLAY, MMister of M Transport, will be the principal guest at the annual luncheon of the Road Haulage Association at Grosvenor House, London, W.I. on May 13.
The annual dinner and dance of the Glasgow and West of Scotland sub-area will take place at the Grosvenor Restaurant, Glasgow, on March 22. The national chairman, Mr. Frank F. Fowler, will attend.
The Amalgamated Horse and Motor Owners' Association will hold its annual dinner. at Cheetham • Town Hall on March 7.
Scottish Transport Not Self-supporting
QCOTTISH transport, including the is-) railways, could not stand on its feet financially, Mr. James Amos, chairman of Scottish Omnibuses, Ltd., told a meeting of the Fabian Society in Edinburgh.
It was generally recognized, he said, that Scotland enjoyed an efficient and cheap transport system. Nationalization had not had a harmful effect on business, which had, on the contrary, markedly improved. Similarly, the men working in the industry had not suffered through the creation of .a big organization. They had always belonged to a large concern.
Mr. Amos suggested that further steps could be taken towards the integration of road and rail services. The Scottish Motor Traction company's service to London, with provision for return by rail, was highly popular, but at present people could not travel southward by rail and return by coach.
If Glasgow and other cities wanted to run their municipal buzcs beyond urban limits, other public road services would have to run into the urban areas, he said.
WESTBURY WINDING UP
STATING that the reduction of the overseas travel allowance to £25 had "paralysed its activities," Westbury Luxury Coaches, Ltd., Bristol, is to go into voluntary liquidation.
The company runs eight coaches specially equipped for Continental touring, and had planned 60 tours for„ next season. A representative said it was impossible for the tours to be run under the new financial restrictions. A meeting of creditors will be held in Bristol on February 27.
Southdown Losing Coach Passengers
witiEN Horseshoe Coaches, London, VV N.15, and Messrs Elms, Phillips and Brown, London, N.17, applied to the South-eastern Licensing Authority, last week, to run coaches to the South Coast with greater frequency during the summer, •Southdown Motor._ Services, Ltd., led objecting evidence that it had lost 118,000 passengers in two years on its long-distance coach services.
Mr. J. R. Amphlett, for the applicants, said that they had been allowed to run to the South Coast for 15 days every year since 1931. In 1950, the Authority allowed them 30 days, but requirements were still greater than the restricted facilities could meet.
The Authority granted the applications and removed certain conditions. He said that the firms' proposals should have been opposed when they came before the Metropolitan Licensing Authority.
OBJECTORS TO ALEXANDER'S SUCCESSFUL
rIBJECTORS to an application by W. ‘—/ Alexander and Sons, Ltd., to' run long-distance tours from the principal cities along the north-east coast of Scotland between Fraserburgh and Arbroath, were successful when the case came before the Scottish Deputy Licensing Authority, last week.
It was stated that the company already operated tours from Dundee to Blackpool, the Lake District, North Wales, Devon and the Wye Valley_ It was proposed to use the same vehicles and pick up passengers along the coast. Strong opposition was lodged by R. Dickson, Jr., Ltd., A. W. Watson and Co. and Messrs. I McIntyre, whose representative pointed out that there were no independent supporting witnesses.
The Authority said that it was a wellestablished precedent that independent evidence of need must be produced, particularly when there was serious objection. The application was refused HUMAN RELATIONS CONFERENCE WAYS Of ensuring the greatest effiW ciency in the use of the country's manpower will be discussed at the Human Relations in Industry conference which the Ministry of Labour and National Service is holding in London from March 18-20.
The conference will take place at the headquarters of the Institution of Civil Engineers, George Street, London, S.W.1, and further particulars can be obtained from the director of public relations, Ministry of Labour, 8, St James's Square, London, SW. I.
MATADORS NOW MANDATORS THE A.E.C. Matador Mark III four1 wheeled goods chassis with 9.6-litre oil engine will be known in future as the Mandator Mark III. This applies to all home and overseas versions, but not to the four-wheel-drive military tractor.