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Express services for weekends sought
Page 50
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• Three groups of joint express service operators applied to the North-Western Traffic Commissioners in Manchester last week to superimpose on existing connecting facilities, through services between the North West and South East coastal resorts. Extended tour operators objected that they were licensed for this traffic, limited by many restrictions, and that the applicants should be prevented from converting these holidays into fully inclusive tours.
North Western Road Car Co. Ltd., Southdown Motor Services Ltd. and Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Co. Ltd., who at present have connecting facilities between Manchester and Eastbourne, sought an express service for summer weekends with picking-up points in the North Western and West Midland traffic areas and setting-down points at Brighton, Newhaven, Seaford and Eastbourne.
Similarly, Associated Motorways, George Ewer and Co. Ltd. and Yelloway Motor Services Ltd. were applying for a HaslingdenEastbourne service and Ribble Motor Services Ltd., Southdown and W. C. Standerwick Ltd. sought services from Blackpool and one from Colne to Eastbourne. If the services were granted, said Mr. F. D. Walker for the applicants, they would seek to streamline the services by achieving closer co-ordination between the three operators in each case.
These services would not only save passengers the inconvenience of changing coaches in London but would cut down travelling time by as much as four hours in some cases. Mr. Walker said although he had many public witnesses present, he would not call for their evidence because the advantages to passengers were obvious.
Mr. J. K. Isaac, traffic manager of North Western, said it had been granted similar facilities for Southend, Margate and Clifton but, although it did not intend using the service for inclusive holidays operated or organized by itself, it could not accept such a restriction on its licence. It would be impossible to tell if an outside agent was organizing such a party and booking the journey on the new service, he said.
Mr. H. Allen, general manager, Yelloways, agreed with Mr. J. Booth for the objectors that his company had been a member of the Torbay Pool which had accepted a similar limitation in the East Midland area and confirmed that his company did not wish to operate these kind of holidays.
Mr. G. Dawes, licensing officer, Ribble, said it had offered centre holidays since the 1930s and had operated "Easyway" holidays linked to its express services since 1948. Mr. Booth submitted that the new 1968 Ribble brochure which amalgamated the old-type booklets made its centred holidays much more competitive with extended tours.
"I think this is a way of circumventing the licensing system", said Mr. A. Hall, director, W. Robinson and Sons (Gt. Harwood) Ltd. He felt that it was a contributory factor in the decline of his own carryings this year to Ilfracombe, Torquay and Bournemouth, since these centres were now being offered by Ribble in this way. He feared further abstraction with regard to Eastbourne and Brighton.
Mr. W. Blundell, director, Smith Tours (Wigan) Ltd. said its licences were heavily restricted and to get an Eastbourne tour, it had had to give up two others. The Commissioners reserved their decision.