A LANCASHIRE BUS INQUIRY.
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The Ministry of Transport Investigate an Application made by the Crosville Motor Co., Ltd.
SOME interesting facts concerning thecomprehensive motorbus services run by the Crosville Motor Co., Ltd., were given at an inquiry held by Mr. Fisher, an Inspector of the Ministry of Transport, at Wallasey, a few days ago. The application of the company to extend their Wirral services had previously been refused by the Wallasey Watch Committee. Hitherto, the Crosvile buses have only conveyed passengers so far as the Wallasey end of Leasowe Road.
Mr. Procter, on behalf of the Crosville Motor Co., Ltd. said that they had a fleet of two hundred vehicles, all of the latest type. Twenty-three of these were used for the services between Wallasey and the outlying districts. The company operated in thirteen counties, and catered for no fewer than three million passengers. They started to run buses from Wallasey in 1920, and inaugurated three regular services, these being Wallasey and West Kirby (via Moreton), Wallasey and Heswall, and Wallasey and New Ferry (also via Moreton). The charge on these services was 1.25(1. per passenger per mile on the West Kirby service, 1.47d. per passenger per mile on the Heswall service, and 1.12d. per passenger per mile on the New Ferry service. The passengers carried into Wallasey during the year ended April 30th, 1922, numbered 602,061; for the year ended April 30th, 1923, the number had increased to 726,442, and for the year ended April 30th, 1924, it had further increased to 863,344. For the ten-and-a-half months ended March 15th last, the number, it was said, exceeded one million.
Mr. Procter stated that the Wallasey Corporation's attitude towards the company in the past had been to allow the buses to enter the borough from Leasowe Road, just within distance of Wallasey village. To get to the trams in Wallasey from this point passengers had to walk about 150 yards. He was presuming, from the figures he had just submitted, that many of these people would want to journey right into Wallasey.
The Inspector said that, in the view of the Ministry, companies operating long-distance motorbus services should be allowed to enter towns freely. It was felt, however, that where the local service was thoroughly efficient, the intruding vehicles should confine themselves to carrying long-distance passengers. He raised the question whether the Wallasey authorities would be willing to allow the company latitude within the borough if they confined themselves to the transport of long-distance passengers?
Mr. Procter said that the company would be prepared to agree not to take up passengers at a point in the borough beyond the Leasowe Road boundary.
On being told that the Crosville Company had the support of the Wirral Urban District Council in the matter, the Inspector said that it seemed to be a matter for agreement between the corporation and the company.
Mr. Geo. Livesey asked at what point in the borough the company wished to fix their terminus. The original application of the company had been to run buses to Seacombe Ferry, but since then, the application had been altered to fix the terminal point at Liscard village.
Mr. Procter estimated that of the half-million passengers which the Crosvine buses would, at the Present rate, bring into Wallasey, at least 400,000 would take a Wallasey car or bus upon alighting from the Crosville vehicle. The terminus point at Liscard village was said to be less crowded than the Crosvile termini at Chester and Warrington.
Finally, it was agreed that the corporation and the company should discuss points of settlement privately, and the inquiry , was, therefoNS, closed, it being agreed that any difficulties which might arise after the agreement hail been put into operation should be referred to the Ministry of Transport.