Big Companies Want Only "Plums " ?
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REPEATED applications to increase fares, linked with steady withdrawals of unrernunerative services, would soon result in large bus companies operating only the " plum " services as profit-making monopolies, Mr. G. E. J. Ashworth, clerk to Chapel-enle-Frith Rural District Council, said last week. He objected before the North Western Traffic Commissioners, at Manchester, to an application by the North Western Road Car Co., Ltd., to reduce winter schedule timings on Fridays between Castleton and Bakewell. On the Buxton-Monyash route permission was sought to withdraw timings on Saturdays between Flag and Chelmorton.
Mr. Ashworth submitted that although the applications appeared insignificant, they were. only part of many on what the company considered unremunerative services. In remote rural areas, loads were fight, but the public were entitled to some form of transport.
For North Western, Mr. W. Woolley replied that the big operators did carry out their commitments. The company were, however, constantly trying to effect economies by cutting out "deadwood." On the Castleton service, 84 miles a week would be saved, and on the other, 4.76 miles.
The Castleton-Bakewell service was introduced in 1948, on a daily basis, at the request of Bakewell Council, but in 1952 it had to be reduced to Mondays. Fridays and Saturdays. Receipts varied between 12.2d. and I5,63d. per car-mile, as against overall costs of 22d. before fuel rationing.
Mr. F. Williamson, chairman, said North Western were running the services at a heavy loss and the number of passengers did not warrant continued operation. The applications would he granted.
Decision on an application to cut out two evening timings between Lower Pc over and Knutsford was deferred for three months. Mr. Williamson said that here the figures had improved since fuel rationing.
An application to cut from 10 to 15 min. the frequency of services between Stockport and Bramhall after 7 p.m, was approved. Mr. F. E. Capper, for Hazel Grove and Bramhall Urban District Council, said the company's original application, before rationing, was to make the service one of 30 min., saving approximately 1,000 miles a week. It had been operated under. dispensation since December 17, and was found too drastic.
Mr. Woolley said the company were much concerned with diminishing traffic in the evenings.