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Strong objection to Scotland's first dial-a-ride
Page 32
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• Scotland's first dial-a-bus application by Ben Thompson Cabs Ltd, of East Kilbride, was resumed at East Kilbride last week, a continuation from Glasgow on March 5 when the company asked approval to run a stage service from the Calderwood and St Leonards districts to the railway station and town centre. Central SMT objected and there was an intervention by a newly formed body, the East Kilbride Hackney Carriage Association. For the latter, Mr J. B. T. Loudon asked for discretion to allow representations although not statutory objectors.
The proposed service had been described as taxi-oriented. Mr London's clients were taxi owners not familiar with the licensing regulations and unaware of the earlier moves.
For Ben Thompson Cabs, Mr J. S. Peacock said that it was highly irregular that this body should be represented.
Mr Loudon contended that taxi men were very much involved and had formed this new association because of that interest. Mr A. B. Birnie, Chairman of the Commissioners, said that it was unusual to allow latecomers to cross-examine but not unknown. Because of the unusual interest it would be allowed.
Mr Dennis Cloney gave further evidence that the original timetable had been amended; it was geared to allow linking with train times and runs had been computer-assessed. He rejected suggestions that the running time was inadequate and that they could not pick up 16 passengers en route to the station in a time of 33 min utes.
Mr H. Gibson, traffic manager of SMT, said that Ben Thompson must abstract traffic from Central and also from the taxi owners. There must be massive abstraction of traffic if they were to break even on their costs. What Ben Thompson Cabs were seeking to do was to monopolize the taxi business in East Kilbride as well as abstract from Central. Mr Peacock pointed out that Central was now applying itself for two routes through the residential areas now that there had been an apparent change in town council thinking.
The Commissioners toured the proposed route with police, transport officials and the interested parties to gain a positive indication of the suitability of route and the ability to reverse one-man-operated single-deck 16-seater buses on the roads in safety.
The Commissioners reserved their decision.