More Coaches to Help Pensioners
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NA ANY elderly people wishing to join LVI the tours operated by Feather Bros (Tours), Ltd., Bradford, are being turned away because the company have not enough vehicles on their allowance. Thiwas claimed at Leeds, last week, by Mr. J. Malcolm Barr, assistant managing director, when he asked the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners to increase the allowance from 15 to 21 vehicles.
Mr. Barr said the company pioneered . coach tours . for elderly people in the Leeds area, and there could be no competition from other forms of travel. Pensioners, *who were being continually hit by inffation, could not afford to use British Railways, and had never been railway passetigers. When the first outof-season tours were operated in' l955, ihe 'company tarried 455 passengers, but this figure had rapidly increased, and for 1958. it would be 5,930.
Cross-examined by Mr. T. B. Atkinson, for British Railways, Mr. Barr said the railways would have nothing to worry about, as he would undertake not to use the extra vehicles on normal tours.
Mr. Atkinson told the Commissioners that it was difficult to object to the application and he would call no evidence. He pointed out, however, that the vehicle allowance was available for normal tours, besides pensioners' tours. He wanted the railways to be protected.
Maj. F. S. Eastwood, chairman, said the application would be granted, subject to a maximum of 15 vehicles being used on ordinary tours.
MINISTRY'S LORRY CHECK "COMPLETELY USELESS" LAST month's national check on road La goods traffic carried out by the Ministry of Transport, has been condemned by Nottingham Chamber of Commerce as "completely useless." The survey was made in an effort to get an up-to-date picture of road transport, and in particular tb calculate the amount of empty running by lorries.
Mr. R. G. Walton, secretary of the Nottingham Chamber, has pointed out that about 8,000 C-licence vehicles were involved in the check—only 0.66 per cent. of licensed vehicles.
"Reports received from our members indicate that it is quite obvious that vehicles chosen for the test were picked out at random, and no attempt was made to see whether those chosen would be representative of the whole," he said.
Chamber members have agreed to warn others that the results of the check will be "of little or no significance."
STANDARD BID FOR MULLINERS
DIRECTORS of Mulfiners (Holdings), Ltd., are to recommend acceptance of an offer to be made for the purchase of the company's capital by the Standard Motor Co., Ltd. The offer consists of a cash payment of I ls. for each Mulliners 10s. preference share and three Standard Ss. ordinary shares for four Mulliners Is. ordinary shares, plus 2s. in cash.