Independent offer for Oxford services
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• "I would gladly take some City of Oxford services off them and make them pay" an independent operator told the chairman of the East Midland Traffic Commissioners in Oxford on Monday. "I might hold you to that!" replied the chairman, Mr C. M. Sheridan.
The independent, Mr Alexander Gray, managing director of Grayline Luxury Coaches Ltd, Bicester, was applying for art express licence to operate one single-deck vehicle between Bicester (Glory Farm) and RAF Upper Heyford on Mondays to Saturdays throughout the year; the application was opposed by City of Oxford Motor Services Ltd.
Mr Gray said that he had been approached by the United States Air Force to introduce a service from Glory Farm, Bicester, via US Anglo Housing Estate to the USAF base at Upper Heyford, with an outward journey arriving at the base at 8 a.m. and a return journey leaving the base at 5 p.m. Passengers would be restricted to USAF personnel and their families. No less than 500 houses had been built for American Air Force personnel in the Bucknell Estate (Anglo Housing) area and more would follow, Mr Gray told the chairman.
Grayline, he claimed, was the established operator to the base, and already operated five vehicles on US schools services which would soon be increased to 10.
A representative of the City of Oxford, said that a grant to Grayline would lead to a further loss of traffic from an area where all services were losing money. Losses on eight services in the Bicester area varied from 10.88d a mile to 20.18d per mile, he stated. There was a limit to the amount of cross-subsidization.
Mr Sheridan accepted that "tailored services", such as one operated by United Counties to a USAF base, were needed az asked Mr Walters to consider the provisit of such services. He said he was inclined adjourn the hearing to give City of Oxfo a chance to present a similar application if so wished. Mr Gray replied that this wou inconvenience the US authorities who lu asked for a service starting in September. ' have the drivers and the vehicles necessa and can combine the service with schoc contracts", he remarked.
Admitting that there seemed to be "lack of enthusiasm on Oxford's part" (wl had made no counter proposal since lodgit its objection in April), Mr Sheridan grant+ a short-period licence to Grayline, expirn on December 31 1970. He warned that City of Oxford did submit an application the meanwhile Grayline might lose ti service after December. Mr Gray acceptt this, and also a condition to charge fares c the same level as those of the company.