Company Gain Express Service for Scheduled Flights : No Objection
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A FTER, being told that Newcastle Transport Department could no longer supply suitable vehicles, a licence to operate an express service between Newcastle. upon Tyne and Woolsington Airport, _for air passengers on scheduled flights Operated by Silver City Airways, Ltd_, was granted to R. Armstrong (Bus Proprietors), Ltd., Newcastle, by the Northern Traffic Commissioners, at Newcastle, last week.
For the applicants, Mr. J. L. R. Croft said that the department's licence originated in 1957, when they had been , approached by Silver City to carry passengers to the airport. A double-deck vehicle, with driver and conductor, was supplied for a guarantee of £3 per vehicle per return journey. The conductor was to collect fares of 2s. per passenger and Silver City agreed to make up any deficiency. This figure was increased to £3 5s. in 1959.
When Silver City requested that the -service should operate for 1960, the department indicated that because of the recent wage award, they, would have to ' harge £3 10s. At a meeting between the department and Silver City it was pointed out that a lower quotation had been received from Armstrong. The department offered to supply a vehicle without conductor at £2 10s., but this was declined.
The applicants already held a licence to operate express services between the city and the airport for B.K.S. Airlines, said Mr. Croft. They had suitable modern vehicles for this work. • There had been difficulties in the past regarding the carriage of luggage, said Mr. D. King, traffic manager of the northern division of Silver City. It was at his company's request that the appli. cation had been made.
Mr. E. Dunn, traffic manager of Armstrong, assured Mr. J. A. T. Hanlon, chairman, that his company paid union rates to their employees. Asked by Mr. Hanlon whether Armstrong had already operated the service. Mr. Dunn said.that they had operated only on a private-hire basis, Mr. Hanlon: "It has been drawn to our attention that somebody wai collect ing fares and people were in fact paying separate fares."
Mr. Dunn replied that he knew nothing about this. Mr. Hanlon said that the Commissioners did not propose to take any further action in the matter, but added: " Any sort of evasion of the law under some sort of cloak is cutting the ground from under the feet of yourselves and everybody else in the industry. It is the very thing that the industry is complaining about" It was then suggested by Mr. Hanlon that the best and cheapest course would be to add a condition to the applicant's existing licence. This would limit the service to passengers for Silver City Airways. There was no objection and the department surrendered their licence when the grant was made.
TANKER WEIGHT REFUSAL
nISAPPOINTMENT has been registered by the Traders' Road Transport Association over the refusal by the Minister of Transport to increase the permitted gross weight limit of eightwheeled tankers from 24 to 28 tons. The association has actively supported the weight increase, and Mr. H. R. Featherstone, national secretary, said this week that he hoped the Ministry would reconsider the question.
ONE-MAN RUSES ON TRIAL
AGREEAGREEMENT has been reached MENT Rotherham Transport Committee and the local branch of the Transport and General Workers' Union for experimental use of one-man buses on two routes. The tests are to be made on the two busiest days with vehicles on the Harworth and Worksop routes.