WALLACE DEMAND GROWING
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AFTER a seven-day re-hearing of the Wallace Arnold Tours Ltd. application for new Continental tours licences from Lancashire, the North Western Traffic Commissioners reserved their decision (as reported in CM last week).
The company again sought new excursions and tours licences originating at Preston, with a feeder set-vice from Liverpool, to carry inclusive Continental tours passengers to Southend Airport, Dover and Southampton.
Summing up for 13 objecting express operators, Mr. R. 0. Sutton said the public had ample opportunities to join Continental tours in Lancashire and there were adequate transport facilities for joining tours elsewhere.
A grant to Wallace Arnold would further imperil express services made vulnerable by railway electrification, and endanger stage carriage services subsidized by the express routes.
Wallace Arnold was a newcomer to road service licences in the North Western area, said Mr. Sutton.
Picking-up points
Existing operators should be given the chance to provide any extra facilities.
Wallace Arnold had given evidence that 2,275 passengers were booked on its 1967 tours from Lancashire—an average of only seven to eight passengers a coach. This would be uneconomic initially.
Mr. J. Booth, for five tours operators and BR, said in regard to the 18 picking-up points being sought that out of 20 public witnesses only four had been called in respect of the two most important points—Manchester and Liverpool.
The witnesses had spoken only of inconvenience: they preferred tours to start from their home towns. If this criterion was accepted, every operator could use it for further grants.
Mr. Booth said operators had had to fight against restrictions imposed by the ComMissioners over the years. Why should Wallace Arnold be granted a new licence for six vehicles a day without limitations?
Mr. F. S. Marshall, for Wallace Arnold, said it had no road service licences out of London for Continental tours and was not authorized to pick up passengers there.
He felt North Western area restrictions had not always been Commissionerimposed; they also stemmed from touroperator deals.
Continental holiday demand was increasing and the number of Wallace Arnold passengers booked by April, 1967-2,275— was hardly small. It equalled those carried collectively by the objectors. Only 326 more would make the intended service a payable proposition.
Happiway Tours (Manchester) Ltd. held many Continental tours authorizations that were not being offered, said Mr. Marshall. Facilities were being withheld fromthe public.
The Wallace Arnold hearing was followed by applications for flexibility regarding express services from various points in Lancashire by six express operators. They applied for permission to run coaches, out of their present allowance, to meet Continental tours leaving from London. Decisions on these were also reserved.
QUARRY WORK FOR FIVE
FIVE TRANSPORT CO. LTD., of Upper Cwmtwrch, Swansea, was last week authorized by the South Wales LA to carry goods for Hobbs (Quarries) Ltd. Objections from four hauliers to the B-variation bid affecting five vehicles (33 tons unladen) were withdrawn.