National deny 'gentleman's agreement claim
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CLAIMS by Yorkshire independent J. H. Sheard, trading as J. Hoyle and Son, that there was a gentleman's agreement over excursion fares in the Halifax area, were denied by National Travel (North East) Ltd, before the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners, last week.
National had opposed applications by Hoyle, and an associated company, A. and J. R. Davidson Ltd, to increase excursion fares by up to 25 per cent, on the grounds that the fares actually being charged were at a lower level than National's, which resulted in unfair competition. National was particularly concerned by a clause allowing fares subject to a local agreement to be increased by a greater or lesser amount.
Mr James Sheard said there had been a gentleman's agreement with Hebble Motor Services Ltd, National's predecessor in the area, that his excursions should operate at 10p below the standard fares. This was one of a number of concessions made to him for leaving Hebble a free hand in the express service field.
However, when National took over the management of the former Hebble licences, it decided it wanted more dayexcursion work. It was really now saying it wanted both sides of the cake.
He intended to maintain the differential. He had been compelled to increase his fares by 60 per cent over the past 12 months and he was meeting customer resistance. He objected to National trying to tell him what fares he should charge.
Questionea by Mr Peter Fingret, for National, Mr Sheard said he had nothing in writing to confirm the agreement with Hebble.
Unfair
Mr Peter Green, licensing and development officer of National Travel (North East), said he had been unable to find any record or trace of the agreement referred to by Mr Sheard.
It was wrong, and amounted to unfair competition, for one operator to charge less than another. If need be, National was prepared to come down to Sheard's level of fares.
Satisfied
Granting the application, with a clause allowing the abatement of fares of 50p and above by 10p, the chairman, Maj-Gen V. H. J. Carpenter, said the Commissioners were satisfied there had been some sort of agreement in the past.
However, it was not a situation that they wished to perpetuate. Should National wish to adjust its own fares, an application would be dealt with on its merits,