Extra Vehicles for Bolton Holiday Fortnight and Long Week-end
Page 42
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
" you bought a pig in a poke ", observed Mr. G. Newman— deputy chairman of the North Western Traffic Commissioners, sitting in Manchester on Tuesday—to which the witness assented. Mr. Newman was addressing Mr. R. Gray, managing director of A. E. Hargreaves Ltd., Bolton, applying to increase the departures, on one of six licences held, from 10 to 16 vehicles during the Bolton holiday fortnight, and from six to 10 vehicles in the Bolton September week-end (Sat. to Wed.) to a large variety of destinations. The application was opposed by British Railways, objections by Ribble, Webster Bros., North Western Road Car and Lancs. United having been withdrawn.
Mr. J. A. Backhouse, for the applicants, referred to the proceedings On June 24, 1963, when the Commissioners had before them a " take-over " application, whereby applicants sought to acquire the excursions and tours business of Lomas Bros., when it transpired that. earnings were low and the business depressed. As a result a modified grant reduces the departures from 16 vehicles to 10 during the holiday fortnight and from 10 vehicles to six in the September week-end.
The licence was granted for a year, to afford Hargreaves an opportunity of proving need for any extension at a later date. Mr. Backhouse said it was significant on that occasion that British Railways did not object. During his examination of Mr. Gray, it transpired that along with the Ribble Co., applicants were granted a dispensation for six additional vehicles for the September c14 week-end last year, and that in good weather they found it difficult to hire.
In reply to Mr. W. Ashmore, for British Railways, as to the evidence of need for additional departures, Mr. Gray said they were in difficulties at week-ends and had to stop booking for Bolton holiday fortnight. He could not agree to Mr. Ashmore's suggestion that any additional departures should be confined to that part of the licence to which certain destinations were excluded. i.e. Morecambe, Blackpool and Southport.
Mr. Ashmore submitted that on the " take-over " from Lomas Bros., the Commissioners had found only a quarter of the vehicle allowance being used, and yet they had granted a good half. The evidence had shown reasonable use made of that grant, but nothing more, and he asked for the application to be refused to avoid abstraction. Authorization of any small extension should be confined to that part of the licence to which certain destinations were excluded.
Mr. Backhouse said there was every justification for restoring the licence to that formerly held by Lomas Bros. The business had been built up despite weather fluctuations and the dispensation granted in September was proof.
Summing up, Mr. Newman said applicants were working to capacity on occasions and on some days passengers had been turned away—but to what extent there was no indication. A modified grant would be made to increase the departures from 10 to 13 vehicles during Bolton holiday fortnight and from six to eight vehicles for the September weekend.