NO DECISION ON HUTCHISON'S BID
Page 18
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AN application by Hutchison's Coaches (Overtown) Ltd. for a stage carriage service between Wishaw and Motherwell was continued at Glasgow last week; this continued the hearing of October 28. A decision was reserved.
A grant was made originally and objections raised by Central SMT Ltd., who complained of abstraction. The case was returned to the Scottish Traffic Commissioners on two technicalities arising from the last hearing. In the interval Hutchison's have operated on a shortterm licence.
The case for Central SMT is that loading on their older routes decreased when Hutchison's began work. Figures were given to show that Central SMT dropped 297 passengers on a particular route on the day of census, whilst Hutchison's gained 670. A joint census was agreed between the parties at the Commissioners' request and presented at the hearing.
Mr. Sam Anderson, of Hutchison's, admitted that he left the details with Central SMT and agreed on the terms. But he also claimed that the census was misleading, although accurate, in that it did not take into account all the traffic involved. It was a physical impossibility, he said, for staff to handle all the ticket values in the census and still collect their cash. He estimated that a more accurate picture would be three times as favourable to Hutchison's as the figures showed.
Chairman of the Commissioners, Mr. A. B. Birnie, pointed out that they could not go on indefinitely taking censuses and the parties agreed to accept the figures. Central SMT then claimed that the terminal-to-terminal traffic could not be profitable for Hutchison's at an estimated cost of £597 per week and income of £163.
Mr. Anderson contended that other factors were involved which made the service a very satisfactory one. Central SMT contended that the Wishaw and Motherwell routes were excessively serviced with 32 to 37 central buses per hour plus five of Hutchison's and the three they now had on short-term. This gave a frequency of one bus every 75 seconds. Central SMT had lost £1,000 per week as a result of the new Hutchison's service.
Grant for Everton
EVERTON COACHES LTD. have "—a been granted a night express service from Worcester to Great Yarmouth in a reserved decision by the West Midland Traffic Commissioners. Picking up points authorized are: Droitwich, Bromsgrove, Rubery, Northfield, Selly Oak and Stirchley. The period of operation is from the first Friday in the industrial holiday month to the last Friday in August, returning on Saturdays one or two weeks later. However, Rubery, Northfield and Selly Oak must not be used on the last two Fridays in August.
The Commissioners also decided to extend the period of operation of a feeder service by Flight's Tours Ltd. from various points in the South and West of Birmingham to connect with its established weekly express service starting from Aston to Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft.