Railways Recant on Agreement Not to Object
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AFTER agreeing not to oppose an application by Wallace Arnold Tours, Ltd:, British Railwayslater changed their minds and put in an objection, the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners were toad on Monday. Mr.
J. Malcolm Barr, Wallace Arnold's assistant managing director, said the agreement was made at a meeting between the two parties, when British Railways examined figures to be submitted by the company to the Commissioners.
He described how they decided to exchange letters so that the railways' interests could be safeguarded at any future application.
" I communicated with British Rail.ways, as I had not received a letter from them, and on the telephone they told me that they had altered their mind and could not draft the letters to be exchanged," said Mr. Barn "I offered to draft the letters for them, and they then told me that my summary of the meeting wag incorrect. It was abargain unconditionally made, and I was not justified in considering giving them any undertaking as to making applications in the future."
Mr. Barr's description of the meeting came during the hearing on Monday of Wallace Arnold's application for renewal of their Ring way Airport express-service licence, with an amendment providing a feeder service from Bradford to Huddersfield. The renewal was opposed by the Yorkshire Woollen District Transport Co., Ltd., North Western Road Car Co., Ltd., West Yorkshire Road Car Co., Ltd., Lancashire United Transport, Ltd., and British Railways, Objections to the feeder service came from West Yorkshire Road Car Co., Ltd., Hebble Motor Services, Ltd., British Railways, Bradford Corporation and Hitddersfield Joint Omnibus Committee.
Figures Good Mr. Barr said the licence had been operated since last June, and he thought all the arguments were ventilated then, and at the appeal hearing. The company's figures were good, althongh the railways had forbidden seven out of 16 British European Airways agents to book for them Three air companies had changed the times of their departures to fit in with the coach link. So far as the new feeder service was concerned, the company did not want to start the coach earlier from Leeds, but by running direct from Leeds to Huddersfield arid feeding the Bradford passengers into Huddersfield, the driver saved 10 011.1311WS on his journey.
Answering Mr. J. Booth,' for the railways,.' ha said he had no figures to show the carryings from individual towns, but he would have them produced as the hearing proceeded. A subsidy of000 had been needed tot the seven months' operations, so each passenger was subsidized to the extent of 10s.
The basis of the application was to Carry passengers for air companies, but he could give no undertaking not to operate for his own tours.
When the figures were produced, and Mr. Booth asked about their accuracy, Mr. Barr replied that the railways had already studied and accepted them. Maj. F. S. Eastwood, chairman, asked:"Do you mean to ill me that these figures requested by British Railways, and for which we have waited hours, have already been acceptect prior to this case? "
Mr. Barr then described his meeting with the railways. At the end of the hearing, Mr. Booth submitted that the holders of the licence should he B.E.A., and not Wallace Arnold.. It was not a sensible licensing proposition, for the subsidy per passenger to be equal.' to the fare.
For Wallace Arnold, Mr. F. Marshall claimed that the objectors' arguments were unchanged. Maj: Eastwood said a decision would be given later, but any grant would be limited to air passengers and would not Cover passengers on Inclusive tours.