Battle for Scottish tours
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• A private enterprise v nationalized concern battle was fought at a sitting of the Traffic Commissioners in Perth on November 19 and 20. Applications from Wallace Arnold Tours Ltd., Leeds, for varying conditions in a number of its licences, in Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow, were opposed by subsidiaries of the Scottish Bu S Group.
Wallace Arnold applied for permission to extend the duration of four of its present tours to Newquay, Torquay, Isle of Wight, and Clacton from seven days to seven or 10 days in the out-of-season period.
The company also applied for completely new tours in the high season to Newquay, loW, Brighton and Cliftonville, lasting for 10 days, but these were turned down by the Commissioners.
Scottie' Omnibuses wanted to alter loW tours from Glasgow and Edinburgh from 13 to -12 days. For Wallace Arnold, Mr. F. S. Marshall said no departures of his clients would take place as high season tours outside the period—first Saturday May to second Saturday September. The remainder of September, October and April constituted out of season.
Mr. James W. Tweedie, commercial manager, SBG, said Scottish Omnibuses wished to reduce the time of its loW runs in an effort to cut the price by £8 to £40.
As to the Wallace Arnold applications, he saw no need for another operator for the loW or Newquay—both were covered by his companies and allowing other operators to run tours would create wasteful competition.
Mr. Marshall claimed that Scottish Omnibuses applied for a duration cut to facilitate traffic arrangements. 1-le told Mr. Tweedie: "Your company are no more than providers of transport and bookers of hotels."
Mr. Tweedie said his firms' buses took people to resorts, left them at hotels, then returned to Scotland with previous tour parties. Passengers, despite the introduction of similar tours by Wallae Arnold in 1965, had steadily increased.
Mr. Marshall alleged that bookings to Newquay were full and said he guessed that a number of people had been turned away in 1968. Mr. Tweedie agreed. Mr. Marshall said: "Two companies will be mutually assisting each other in the stimulation of traffic to places like Newquay and Isle of Wight."
Summing up, Mr. J. B. T. London, for SBG, said the routes concerned were well served and two companies running side by side could not be in the public interest.
Mr. Marshall told the Commissioners: "If ever there was a case that you must be satisfied there will be no wasteful competition, this is it To reject this application would be a negation of public requirements and against the public interest."
Part of the high season application concerning Dundee may be held again. This Wallace Arnold tour necessitated "picking up" points in Fife. W. Alexander and Sons (Fife) objected to this as it already had a "feeder" service in Fife for Edinburgh tours run by sister companies.
Mr. A. Birnie, chairman of the Commissioners, said that he felt there was a case for continuing the Dundee aspect of the Wallace Arnold application. If the Leeds firm did • not wish to do this the application would stand rejected.