Ban on Linked Services Not Desirable, Says Minister
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IN an appeal decision announced On I Wednesday, the Minister of Transport ruled that the total prohibition of through-running on linked services operated by different concerns would be contrary to the public interest. As the circumstances in which linked services might be provided arc many and varied, he does not consider it possible to lay down a principle by which they can be decided as against the public interest, nor in his view would it be desirable to try to do so.
He does, however, consider it desirable that where an application is made for a licence-in respect of a linked service, this should be disclosed in the application, so that persons affected may object.
He dismissed the appeals of 11 individual operators against decisions of the Yorkshire Licensing Authority. The appeals were heard by Sir Robert H. Tolerton, in Leeds, from January 11-14 (The Commercial Motor, January 2 ‘t'ork shi re Pool Services (West Yorkshire Road Car Co., Ltd., Yorkshire Woollen District Transport Co:, Ltd., Yorkshire Traction Co., Ltd., East Yorkshire Motor Services, Ltd., and East Midland Motor Services, Ltd.) appealed against the refusal to grant them duplication on their service between Barnsley and Birmingham, and authorization to run an overnight service.
The Paignton Pool (Wallace Arnold "fours. Ltd., J. W. Kitchin and Sons, 1.td., 0. and C. Holdsworth, Ltd., and Hanson's Buses, Ltd., who, last year, formed the alliance for the purpose of making the applications) appealed igainst the Authority's refusal to license two seasonal express services from Stanningley and Leeds to Paignton. and to grant them an allowance of 11 vehicles. Yelloway Motor Services, Ltd., contested the refusal of their application for a new express feeder service between Huddersfield and Manchester. The appeal of Hebble Motor Services, Ltd., concerned a proposed similar service between Bradford and Rochdale.
A Sheffield operator, Mr. C. G. Littlewood, and the Paignton Pool, responded to the appell by the Yorkshire Pool, Associated Motorways to that of the Paignton Pool, and British Railways to them all.
During the hearing, reference was made to the alleged establishment of a principle involving linked services in an appeal by Elliott Bros. (Bournemoutili. Ltd. (January 10, 1933). This latest decision, however, has made it clear that the decision on that appeal did not lay down a principle by which it can be decided whether or not linked services between different operators are in the public interest.
The Minister points out that the decision on the Elliott case was confined to the facts of that appeal, of which the most significant in relation to the present appeals was that all the licences under which the linked services were run were held by the same operator.
It is also ruled that an operator is entitled to consideration as an "existing operator " only by reference to services run by him, and not to services on which his vehicles run on hire to another operator.
Commenting on the appeals by Yelloway and Ilebble, Sir Robert agreed in his report that there was justifiable criticism of the services from West Yorkshire connecting with the Yelioway trunk route. But the introduction of new express feeder services was not the only way to secure improvement. There was no reason why the existing stage services should not be organized to give better facilities.