Linking "A Fash ionable Pastime"
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LINKING had become a "fashionable pastime," and that was the only reason why Southport operators wanted to operate jointly, suggested Mr. F. D. Walker, for Ribble Motor Services, Ltd., when the North Western Traffic Commissioners proposed to add linking conditions to the licences of four Southport operators at Manchester, last week.
The proposals were opposed by Bullock and France, ud.; Blundells Coaches (Southport), Ltd.; Messrs. P. and J. Poole, Southport; and the Birkdale Motor and Carriage Co., Ltd.
Mr. J. Backhouse said they had been linking destinations for years. It was hoped, he added, that the Commissioners would make exception to their ruling in certain cases. The companies wanted to operate jointly between Keswick, Windermere, Morecambe, Llandudno, Rhyl, York and Harrogate.
Bemuse he did not have enough passengers to operate individual services, Mr. J. E. Williams, managing director of Bullock and France, Ltd., wanted to link Rhyl and Llandudno. Although he had not done this before, there had been requests from the public for it.
Supporting the Commissioners' proposals, Mr. Walker said that Ribble ran a regular express service between Southport and Morecambe. There was no reason why Southport residents should not use the service. Ribble were interested in the link which involved Morecambe.
Linking should be permitted only when it was necessary and not harmful to other operators. If linking continued there might, in time, be applications for triple links, added Mr. Walker.
He referred to "countless miniature express services" being run under excursion licences. These should be avoided if possible. Mr. Backhouse stated that there was no real. competition involved.
The Commissioners added a condition prohibiting linking to all licences, but Mr. F. Williamson, chairman, said that Windermere and Keswick and York and Harrogate might be operated jointly. Decisions on Llandudno and Rhyl and Morecambe and Windermere were reserved