North Western Pay Stockport £2,445 for Two Services
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IF ever there was a case where the I " existing-operator" principle should obtain, this was the one, Mr. John Green, traffic manager of the North Western Road Car Co., Ltd., told the North Western Traffic Commissioners at Stockport, on Monday, during the second round of the 'company's battle with Stockport Corporation to decide who should provide stage services to jhe new Brinnington housing estate. The applications were the sequel to the, granting of the corporation's "consent" application, against which North Western have appealed (The Commercial Motor, August 3). The appeal is held over.
33 Years' Operation Mr. W. Blackhurst, for the company, said their Stockport—Denton stage service, which had been in operation 33 years, served the estate • by means of " shorts." Ever since building began, Brinnington people . had relied on the North Western service.
In 1952 they were warned by the corporation that they would apply for consent, and that it would be suggested that all "shorts " granted since that date should be taken away.
If the application for a new service from Stockport to Brinnington were granted, the company were prepared to surrender the " shorts " on the Denton licence.
Mr. H. Backhouse, for the corporation, said in 1946 the company negotiated with the corporation for the Denton service to use Mersey Square and, as the price of no objection, agreed to pay Id. a passenger on part of the route. This was later reduced to id., and was still being paid. Because they did not like the arrangement, they now wanted to throw it overboard. It was an agreement that could not be repudiated without going to the High Court.
Mr. Green said the toll was an imposition and was not justified. Last year they paid the Corporation £2,445 for the two serVices involved.
Questioned by Mr. Backhouse about the company's threat to oppose the corporation's Parliamentary Bill unless a clause was inserted that they must apply for any consents under Sections 101 and 102 of the Road Traffic Act, Mr. Green
said it was a condition required by all B.E.T. companies.
Mr. Backhouse said that during the building period North Western had gained more than 330,000 passengers. In 1952, the Commissioners had intimated that "shorts and longs" were not desirable on one licence, and the time had come when the temporary service should go to the rightful operators.
WHAT PORTUGAL BUYS IN the first nine months of this year 'Portugal purchased 1,012 British and 1,211 German light commercial vehicles. Austin sales totalled 415, Borgwarcl 332, Ford-Taunus 316, Thames 228 and Hanomag 205. In the heavier range, Bedford vehicles are more popular than any other in Portugal.