Standerwick Refused Easter Tours Grant
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AN application by W. C. Standerwick Ltd.,. of Preston, to operate for a travel agent an express carriage service between Accrington, 14aslingden and Southampton in conjunction with an Easter tour to Paris, crossing the Channel by the Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary liners, was refused by the North Western Traffic Commissioners in Manchester on Monday. They had been told that the tour had been advertised and bookings had closed. The objectors had protested that there was no case to answer, and one, Mr. J. Booth—for Smith Tours (Wigan) Ltd. and Florence Motors Ltd.— said that if the application were granted it would be a travesty of justice in the public interest ".
The applicants sought to run a 41-seat vehicle outwards overnight on April 14 and inwards on April 20, with passengers paying an inclusive fare to Althams Travel Services for the complete journey from Accrington to Paris; the vehicle was to be hired at an inclusive charge of £100. Mr. F. D. Walker, for Standerwick, said passengers would :pay 36 guineas for the full amenity, including travel on the Queens and overnight stops on the Continent en route to, and in, Paris.
Mr. G. Dawes, licensing officer of Ribble Motor Services Ltd., of which Standerwick is a subsidiary, said the vehicle was being supplied to D. N. Hyde-Barker Agents Ltd. of Mansfield. When questioned by Mr. J. Backhouse, for objectors Sandown Tours (Burnley)
Ltd., Mr. Dawes contended that it could not be a contract carriage service because there were separate fares for those joining the tour at Southampton and because it had been advertised. As there was no fare less than Is., it could not be a stage carriage service,
Questioned by Mr. F. D. Walker, for the applicants, Mr. Hyde-Barker said that 33 had booked for the tour from the Accrington Haslingden district, but four were making their own way to Southampton and paid £301 guineas. Those travelling were in the 60-4o-65 age group. If the application were refused passengers would travel by Standerwick's regular express service to London, and then on by Royal Blue to Southampton, or by rail, which would involve six transfers on the journey to Southampton. The tour had been first advertised in January.
Mr. Backhouse submitted that a basic principle for licensing of this sort was that an application should not be based on the fact that the facility had been advertised and bookings had been made. Only the nine who had booked through Altharns Travel could travel on the vehicle if a grant were made, not the full 29 who had booked to travel from the area. There had been no evidence from a single passenger to say he wanted to travel by coach—the brochure stated only that "special arrangements" would be made. The only people who would be inconvenienced if a grant were not made, Mr. Backhouse alleged, would be D. N. Hyde-Barker Agents Ltd., who would have to pay the fares.