Does Hire Establish Operator ?
Page 39
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BECAUSE they had in the past .1-)operated a service, on a private-hire basis. between Barton. Stacey camps and I .07tdort, appellants at an inquiry in London, on Monday, submitted that they were in the nature of established operators and should have their share of the traffic.
Messrs. Taylors, Sutton Seotncy, Hants, appealed against the South Eastern Licensing Authority's refusal to allow them to run an express service between Barton Stacey and London, and against the grant of a licence to Wilts and Dorset Motor Services, Ltd.
Mr. T. E. G. Mather, for Taylors, said that at the hearing of the application it was contended that, as Wilts and Dorset had operated in co-ordination with the railways, they should have the licence to run the raid service.
It had been proved by Taylors that there was a need for. the road service, that the present.facilities to link with trains at Andover junction and Basingstoke were unsatisfactory, and that the service Taylors proposed to run was the most convenient.
For Wilts and Dorset, Mr. R. C. Oswald submitted that, should the inspector decide in favour of Taylors, he should recommend that the case be referred back to the Licensing Authority. Taylors' argument was based on the fact that they had engaged in private hire. When they made their application in 1948 it was refused and they did not appeal.
It had been suggested that Taylors should share in the traffic. `! Wilts and Dorset Motor Services have been catering for this traffic for six or Seyert years. Why should they now be asked to surrender some of it to Taylors? " he asked. 11 is clients were invited by the camp authorities to put on a direct road service to London, and they immediately applied to do so.
There was no direct proof that the services between the camp and Andover or Basingstoke were unsatisfactory.
Replying, Mr. Mather said the notice of the Wilts and Dorset application was not published until February 19, whereas Taylors had applied five days earlier.