Appeal to High Court against licence refusal
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• Bee-Line Roadways Ltd, coach proprietors, of York Road, Hartlepool, operating from Linthorpe Road, Middles brough, were given leave in the High Court last Friday to apply for orders quashing the refusal of the Northern Area Traffic Commissioners to grant the firm a licence to run express coaches from Hartlepool to Luton Airport and the, granting of a similar licence to United Automobile Services.
Mr Richard Yorke, for Bee Line, told Lord Parker, the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Justice Phillimore and Mr Justice Ashworth in the Queen's Bench Divisional Court that the ground for the application was that the Commissioners had "stepped into the arena".
Bee-Line contended that the Commissioners. after adjourning the hearing of the company's application, had invited United to put in a competing application to run coaches from Hartlepool to Luton Airport. When the hearing was resumed on April 15 Bee-Line's application was refused and United's granted.
"We say that once having entered the arena by inviting a competing application the Commissioners could not act judicially," said counsel.
Neither the Traffic Commissioners nor United were represented at the hearing.