Battle for coach parks
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Operators incensed at officialdom's new
charges and advance payment scheme by John Darker
• Behind a recent Parliamentary question by Mr Reg Prentice MP, concerning the number of coach parking spaces along the Mall Horse Ride and Constitution Hill for coach drivers bringing visitors to London to see the changing of the guard, there lies a ferment of conflicting interests.
It is a classical example of environment versus commercialism, with labour relations overtones.
By a strange paradox, the relatively small labour relations problem brought Mr John Stevens, the London area coach officer of
the Transport and General Workers' Union, into the fray. Mr Stevens was secbnded by his, union for a year to see what progress could be made with trade union recruitment of coach drivers. By talking to drivers at coach parks used by tourist coaches Mr Stevens made himself familiar with all aspects of a highly complex situation.
He soon discovered that his union was not represented on the Coach Parking Group for Tourist Traffic set up under the auspices of the Greater London Council's department of planning and transportation — a situation he soon remedied. John Stevens is now undertaking a public relations campaign directed at any of tlx interetted parties who offend the interests as he sees them, of his members.
The GLC's Coach Parking Grour consists of representatives of the council' traffic and transportation branches, tin Department of the Environment, Westmin ster City Council, the Metropolitan Police the London Tourist Board, the Passengei Vehicle Operators' Association, Nationa Car Parks Ltd, the Guild of Guick Lecturers, and two representatives Westminster Abbey.
Mr Stevens, a former London Transpor bus driver, is determined to do his utmost u prevent what he terms the "harrying" of coach driver members by police. He accepts that the police are only doing their job in preventing coaches obstructing roads in the vicinity of places like Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London. As he sees it, the GLC should cut the cackle and provide adequate coach parks as close as possible to places of interest to visitors.
Last season one of his driver members was arrested by the police for wilful obstruction near Westminster Abbey. The coach was driven away to a police compound and much inconvenience was caused to a party of tourists who had to arrange for a relief coach to be summoned. The driver was subsequently fined £2 for the offe rice.
LE appears that an arrangement last season whereby coaches with parties for continued on page 24