"Glasgow Express Needs Review"
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" THE general impression left with the
1 Commissioners . . . was that too many vehicles were chasing too few passengers and that an overall review of the transport requirements of the Coventry, Birmingham and Glasgow route is overdue." This was said by the chairman of the West Midland Traffic Commissioners, Mr. J. Else, in a written decision in which the Commissioners authorized a joint express service between Coventry and Glasgow to the Midland Red company, the North Western Road Car Co. Ltd., Ribble Motor Services Ltd., Western S.M.T. Co. Ltd. and Scottish Omnibuses Ltd. In the same decision, the Commissioners granted a road service licence to George McGhie, of Coventry, authorizing a new express service between Binley, Coventry and Glasgow, to operate during the industrial holiday month.
The grants following an original excursions and tours application by McGhie for facilities to operate between Coventry and Glasgow on one week-end in each month throughout the year and during holidays. A vehicle allowance of three was sought. The application was strongly opposed by Midland Red, Ribble, Western S.M.T. and Scottish Omnibuses, and also British Railways. After a threeday hearing the Commissioners found that, inter alia, there was a strong Scottish community desirous of travelling to Glasgow; the cost of such a journey was a material factor, and British Railways' facilities were unsuitable.
The decision was reserved and, as the Commissioners considered that an express service would be more appropriate, they invited McGhie to lodge a new application so that it could be heard with that of the road objectors who themselves had applied for a daily service between Coventry and Glasgow. This suggestion was accepted by McGhie, and the same road operators objected to the application. McGhie, in his turn, objected to the daily express service application.
After hearing evidence in the joint road operators application, the Commissioners decided that the joint operators had provided daily connectional facilities between Coventry and Glasgow involving a change in Manchester for some years prior to 1954; that from 1954 they had provided a daily through service between Coventry, Birmingham and Glasgow, and that the Birmingham-Glasgow service was not well patronised and in all probability was not self supporting.
In his written decision, Mr. Else said that the Commissioners subscribed to the "existing operator principle" as enunciated in the Buckmaster and other appeals, with the rider that it should be applied with care lest it frustrated or stifled new thought and endeavour. That principle was applicable to the present cases.
After granting the application in a modified form. the Commissioners said that the present applications enabled a start to be made to review the transport requirements of the Coventry, Birmingham and Glasgow route. The licence would be granted for two years. On the renewal of all licences the Commissioners would expect adequate information as to the operations undertaken thereunder and commended to the joint operators the possibility of incorporating or linking the existing and new licences between Coventry and Glasgow.