No Manchester pick-up for Yorkshire/Ireland tours
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• Wallace Arnold Tours Ltd., Leeds, was refused permission by the North Western Traffic Commissioners in Manchester on Monday to pick-up passengers in Manchester for weekend and weekday tours to Northern Ireland which commence in Leeds. Instead of applying for a further excursion on its North Western licence, application was made by way of a variation on the backing of a Yorkshire licence.
The primary licence had already been granted in the Yorkshire area, as had a variation to amend the route to pass through the centre of Manchester, said Mr. W. J. King, Wallace Arnold licensing officer, although it had not been stated specifically that it was to enable the firm to pick-up in that city. In the North Western traffic area it would have been difficult to get a Northern Ireland excursion, he admitted, but pointed out that it had picking-up points authorized on backing licences in other traffic areas.
Weekend tours were operated to London and Holland, the latter proving particularly successful because of the facilities for dancing and purchasing cheap drink on board the ferries: 24 out of a planned 26 departures had operated last year. The majority of these passengers had travelled on a Wallace Arnold full-length tour and it was felt that Northern Ireland would be equally successful. Both nights would be spent on board, with a full day in Belfast on the Saturday. It was there
fore hoped to extend this facility to its Lancashire clients.
The records showed that 24 Lancashire people had travelled on the Dutch tour and in addition five private parties had been operated from the county. As it was an experimental type of operation, it was not possible to 'obtain public witnesses. The chairman of the Commissioners, Mr. C. R. Hodgson, felt evidence could have come from a Lancashirebased agent.
Three private parties, similar to the midweek five-day tour proposed, had been operated last year and the objectors could not offer equivalent facilities, claimed Mr. King. He did not expect fantastic numbers but felt quite a few" would travel.
Objecting for Batty Holt Touring Services Ltd. and Florence Motors Ltd., Mr. J. Booth pointed out that Wallace Arnold had only been granted its picking-up points in Blackpool and Liverpool for its existing Northern Ireland tours subject to the condition that only passengers whose journeys originated outside the North Western area might be carried. Even if the present application was granted, this condition would have to be amended and would be heavily opposed, he warned. Additionally, the NW Commissioners had insisted on separate Northern Ireland licences for Lancashire-based operators for closer control and it was unlikely that they would permit a departure from this practice for Wallace Arnold, he considered.