Commissioners Say Linking Idea Would Make Licensing History
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AFTER hearing an application by W. Robinson and Sons (Great Harwood), Ltd., at Manchester, last week, Mr. F. Williamson, chairman 1 of the North Western Traffic Commissioners, remarked that the company were -seeking to make licensing history. They wanted to link the catchment areas of their various licences with feeder services into a trunk route (The Commercial Motor, last week). The application-was granted, but decision on the conditions of the grant was reserved.
Robinson's asked for the amalgamation of their licences so that day and evening excursions could be operated from towns in East Lancashire by running feeder services to a central point in Blackburn. They strongly opposed a suggestion from the Commissioners that the licence shoidd have the condition that "passengers carried to any of the authorized destinations . . . should not, unless otherwise provided by conditions attached to the licence, include any passengers taken up at points other than those specified."
"Improper Restriction "
Mr. H. Backhouse, for the company, niaintained that this would be improper, as it would take away something not covered by the Act. However, Mr. Williamson pointed out that Robinson's were seeking to regularize practices which they had resorted to in the past. Without a restrictive condition there would be no point in a grant, as they would still be able to do as they liked according to their own arguments.
• Mr, -F. D. Walker, for Ribble Motor Services, Ltd., said they agreed with the application in general. In earlier days. Blackburn, Accrington and Darwen had all been combined on one licence, and when . the Commissioners divided them common vehicle allowances were given. It had always been assumed that linking was contemplated by this action.
For British Railways, Mr. J. Booth said they could not accept the principle of linking extensive catchment areas for day and evening excursions. Feeder services were contrary to the whole idea of excursions. which were justified on the ground that passengers did not have to be transhipped at a central point. A similar service to the one Robinson's wanted could be provided by the railways if they fed passengers into Blackburn railway station.
Great Uncertainty
Concluding, Mr. Backhouse said now local authorities frowned on picking up at the kerbside, excursion operators would have to work on the bus station principle. There had been great uncertainty about what was considered desirable and undesirable, so the present application. should put matters right.
Mr. Williamson told him that the application embraced a radical departure from previous practice. There was conflict as to whether public interest was best served by a reduction in the number of vehicles on the road, or by the system of transhipment so that a numbered seat could be booked for a whole journey.
Although the application was being blessed in principle, the situation was unique in East Lancashire. If there had not been a .history .of linking because of the split-up mentioned by Mr. Walker, the Commissioners would have been far less sympathetic to Robinson's, who had deliberately carried on linking despite the Commissioners' pronouncements on the subject.