Labour objections to alma overruled by commissioners
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SOUTHPORT CORPORATION applied to the North Western Traffic Commissioners in Manchester on Tuesday to alter all its regular daily services to allow for the introduction of one-man operation.
Mr. D. L. Turner, traffic superintendent, said that it was a major change—it had 12 single-deck, two-door, rear-engined vehicles on order which would accommodate 45 seated and 17 standing passengers. Six of them would be delivered at the end of February and the remainder shortly afterwards. The Corporation sought to re-link services to allow for one-man operation and to effect economies. Over the past 10 years the number of passengers had fallen by 6tm but services and service frequencies had remained unchanged.
Mr. Turner warned that a fares increase application would be necessary in the near future but it was hoped to keep it to a minimum. The Corporation sought to reduce the present 12-minutes frequency to 15 minutes and on Saturday evenings some a I5-minutes to 20-minutes frequency. During peak periods the absent vehicles would be replaced by extras, he said. Changes in routes and frequency had been published in full in the local press.
Mr. P. Auger, making representation on behalf of the Southport Labour Party, said he appreciated that £17,000 a year would be saved by these revisions but complained residents did not know of the changes, due to the lack of publicity.
Granting the revision to take effect on February 1, the chairman of the Commissioners, Mr. C. R. Hodgson, said he felt the Labour Party would be well represented on the town council and probably on the transport committee which had recommended the revisions. The Commissioners welcomed the introduction of one-man operation , in Southport.