Pool applications for ski tours
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• Following three applications, involving 10 passenger operators, all asking for an excursions licence to run week-end ski tours to Aviemore and the Cairngorms, the North Western Traffic Commissioners are considering their decision.
In Manchester last week the final hearing took place in which Batty-Holt Touring Service Ltd., of Blackburn, and Smith's Tours (Wigan) Ltd. both applied to add Aviemore and the Cairngorms to their licence. Representations were made by two previous applicants, Peter Hicks, of Accrington (CM April 18 19691 and Dixon's World Wide Travel, of St. Helens (CM June 27 1969).
Hicks and Dixon's were reduced from being objectors to only being allowed to make representations following a submission by Mr. F. D. Walker, for the applicants, that an objector must be operating along or near the route being applied for. Neither Hicks nor Dixon's were operating such a service.
Mr. A. R. Jones, tour manager for BattyHolt, said that it had been agreed between the applicants and six other companies to operate the ski tours as a pool. The pool would consist of Batty-Holt, Smith's, W. Robinson and Sons (Tours) Ltd.. Hutchmsons Tours Ltd., Ribble Motor Services Ltd., Wallace Arnold Tours Ltd., Florence Motors Ltd., and Shearings Holidays Ltd. Mr. Jones thought it would be operated on a co-ordinated basis with expenses and revenue being pooled and the operator being paid for the service,
Mr. W. Blundell, the managing director of Smith's, confirmed his acceptance of the agreement. He had taken a number of 'private ski parties to the Cairngorms, all but two of which were for Mr. Dixon. He thought that Smith's would be the operators of the service in the immediate future. His company had a fleet of 35, of which only 10 at a time were used during the winter months.
It was doubtful who were the true applicants, said Mr. G. P. Crowe, for Dixon's, as the application had beer, made by two companies as a separate entity. Any agreement between the applicants and other members of the pool should have been submitted to the Commissioners within 21 days, in accordance with section 140 of the Road Traffic Act 1960. In addition to these legal matters there had been no real evidence of demand by the present applicants while Dixon's in its application had shown ample evidence of need,
Mr. Backhouse said that he did not think the pool could be operated legally in the form in which the licence was applied for. They either had to all apply as individual companies or apply to operate jointly. Mr. Walker said that the Commissioners might not recognize the pool but grant the application and leave the working of it to the operators. Mr. Hodgson said that such conditions would have to apply if a grant was made.
The decision was reserved to be given along with that of Hicks and Dixon's.