1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156 
'Last Ditch Stand' to Keep Yorks Rail Links
Page 49
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
ASEASIDE town's " last ditch stand " to keep its rail links was heard by the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners in Whitby last week when live local authorities lodged objections and 10 individuals made representations against applications by United Automobile Services Ltd. and West Yorkshire Road Car Co. lad. to increase their services.
The Commissioners reserved their decision pending inspection of the Sledgate Hill route in one of the United , vehicles, which all the . objectors had insisted was not a suitable road to be included in a passenger service route; it was, in fact, considered dangerous.
United applied for additional journeys on their Scarborough-Ravenscar service and for the introduction of a WhitbyScarborough service (with an existing licence to be surrendered) via Robin Hood's Bay, to be operated daily by four vehicles. United and West Yorkshire applied to revise the timetable of their joint services between Bradford and Whitby.
The applications were subject to the closure of the Whitby-Scarborough and Whitby-Malton railways. It was this that contained the key to the objections.
Mr. W. R. Hargrave, for the applicants, said the Minister of Transport had agreed to the closure of the rail services from Whitby to Scarborough and Mahon provided his demands for additional bus services were granted under the Road Traffic Act and arrangements for the introduction of the bus services had been completed. The Minister required that existing services be maintained, and he also •listed additional services which had to be met before he would authorize the closure of the rail links, Mr. Hargrave emphasized that the application met and in some cases exceeded the requirements of the Minister. "It is no part of the applicants' case to justify, criticize or condemn the decision of the Minister ", said Mr.
Hargrave. That decision is final." United appeared as a completely neutral party; there was no other body in the area big enough, or with the facilities, who could make the application. The objectors stressed, mainly that the bus services were not an adequate .subL stitute for the railways and, therefore. under the terms of the Minister's decision the rail cuts could not be enforced.
Mr. W. Wright, clerk to Whitby U.D.C., said the Minister had promised that track on the routes would be retained in case it should emerge that they were essential to the transport needs of the area. It was unfair to all concerned, not least to the road service operators who were expected to operate the services, not knowing whether they were to be permanent or not. He suggested the Commissioners deferred their decision until a new regionalbody
had a chance to consider the transport needs of the area, but the chairman, Maj. F. S. Eastwood, said this would not be possible.
Mr. K. Allan, clerk to Whitby R.D.C., spoke of the heavy responsibility of United drivers in their district. But the proposals simply did not provide an adequate alternative to the railways. " You may agree with us ",. he told the Commissioners, "that this is a last ditch stand."