Works Services: Contract Important
Page 29
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
THE award of a contract to an operator to run a service under an assisted travel scheme is a material factor when deciding between competing applicants for a road service licence. Any claim put forward on that ground should be given substantial weight, says an appeal decision issued on Tuesday by the Minister of Transport.
He has upheld an appeal by Godfrey Abbott Motor Tours against the refusal of the North Western Traffic Cornmissioncrs to grant them express services from Stretford, Sale and Timperley to Knutsford.
Abbott's also appealed against the granting of the services to the North Western Road Car Co., Ltd., whose licences the Minister has ordered to be revoked. He has done so on the recommendation of Mr. J. M. Glen, the inspector who heard the appeals.
The Minister points out that claims based on grounds other than the existence of a contract must be given consideration. North Western Road Car argued that they should be allowed to run the services because they provided unremunerative stage services in the neighbourhood.
He recognizes the importance of the Commissioners' observations on this point and their concern about the cumulative effects of granting licences for services of this kind to operators engaged primarily on contract-carriage work. North Western Road Car did not, however, rebut the case of Godfrey Abbott, who had been running the service before it required to be licensed and held a contract to operate it.
During the inquiry there was an argument as to whether the services in question should be regarded as stage or express, The Minister thinks that fares paid by individual passengers are those to be taken into account, and not the sum paid for hiring a coach or sub-divisions of that amount.