Express licence bids succeed • despite illegal operations
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GRANTING short-term licences to Bletchley Self Drive Cars Ltd. and C. A. Baldry last week, Mr. C. M. Sheridan, chairman of the East Midland Traffic Commissioners, stressed that they were in no way condoning the illegal operations which had been carried out by the applicants; they were considering the convenience of passengers who had already booked on the services.
The applications were in respect of special express services from Bletchley to caravan sites at Bognor Regis, Caister-on-Sea and Great Yarmouth to operate on Saturdays from the beginning of May to the end of September for holidaymakers staying in the applicants' caravans only.
Objectors were Buckmaster Garages Ltd., Leighton Buzzard, and the United Counties Omnibus Co. Ltd. An objection by Midland Red was withdrawn on condition that the application in respect of the Bognor service was amended to read "one vehicle not exceeding 12 seats capacity".
For Buckmaster Garages Ltd., Mr. J. A. Hines claimed that for seven years Mr. C. A. Baldry and his son Mr. B. A. Baldry, the latter the proprietor of Bletchley Self Drive Cars Ltd., had been transporting people direct from their homes to caravans owned by them at the three caravan sites. Buckmaster already operated express services from Bletchley to Great Yarmouth and to Bognor, starting in June each year. The Great Yarmouth service left Bletchley at 7.45 a.m. arriving at the beach coach station at 12.30 p.m.
Mr. Hines pointed out that despite a conviction last December for illegal operation, the applicants had continued to advertise their caravans with "transport available", quoting a price of 50s. Mr. A. G. Gee, for United Counties, also gave evidence of a service to Great Yarmouth, leaving Bedford bus station at 7.30 a.m. and arriving at Great Yarmouth beach coach station at 12.30 p.m. An express feeder service left Bletchley at 6.30 a.m. connecting at Bedford.
Mr. B. A. Baldry agreed that he had been convicted in December, but said he had immediately applied for a licence, the application being published on February 17. He had not advertised his service between his conviction and the publication of the application. He had full bookings for his caravans and most of the customers required transport. His coaches left Bletchley at 6 a.m. and arrived at the Caister caravan site at 10.15 a.m. with a break of half an hour for breakfast.
Witnesses called by Mr. K. R. Embleton, on behalf of B. A. Baldry, claimed that they preferred the early start to avoid traffic congestion, and the early arrival at the caravan sites gave them a chance to buy provisions and prepare lunch. The difficulty of handling the extra luggage required for a caravan holiday was stressed by the witnesses, who said they were satisfied with the door-to-door service provided by Baldry. If they travelled on the objectors' services there was the problem of frequent changing and of getting from the beach coach station to the caravan sites by ordinary stage bus.
TIMING TUSSLE
THE MINISTER of Transport has dismissed an appeal by Graham's Bus Services Ltd. against a decision of the Scottish Traffic Commissioners allowing Western S.M.T. Co. Ltd. to shorten the timing of a stage carriage service between Glasgow and Ardrossan. Graham's objection was that at the new times, Western's buses would run only four minutes or less later than its own buses on the common sector of the route. At the Caister site there was a walk of over half a mile from the camp entrance to B aldry's caravans.
Mr. Hines admitted that since the publication of Baldry's applications they had applied to extend the Great Yarmouth service to Caister and to extend the period of operation of both services to commence at the beginning of May. He suggested that, to avoid disappointing Baldry's clients, special dispensation should be granted to allow both father and son to operate their services legally until the end of September, but that alternative arrangements should be made for next year. Mr. B. A. Baldry could, for example, arrange for his minibuses to meet Buckmaster coaches at the entrance to the Caister caravan site and transport holidaymakers up to the caravans.