Still hovering .o.
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Pegwell Bay coach service hearing adjourned again
THE BATTLE over who should provide coach services from London to the Pegwell Bay hoverport on behalf of Hover Lloyd Ltd (CM October 24), was continued before the Metropolitan Traffic Commissioners at Acton this week. Evan Evans Tours Ltd, the Wallace Arnold subsidiary, applied for a special service from the Euston Air Coach Terminal and was opposed by National Travel (South East) Ltd, East Kent Road Car Co Ltd, and Orange Luxury Coaches Ltd.
On the first day of the hearing it was alleged that the poor standard of vehicles of the existing service run by East Kent had damaged the development of Hover Lloyd's crossChannel service.
When the hearing resumed Mr R. H. Harvey, marketing director of Hover Lloyd, said the service had been developed over the years into an intercapital — London Paris Brussels service operated to airline standard. It was being let down by •the poor standard of vehicles supplied for the road link in the United Kingdom.
A contract for coaches was entered into with East Kent in 1968 and the original vehicles were now some 12 years old and had started to suffer breakdowns. Early in 1974 the supply of luxury coaches was negotiated with East Kent. For six months Hover Lloyd was led to believe that East kent would supply the coaches required, but a few days before the new contract was to come into force it was said to be impossible to do so. As a result Hover Lloyd was "over the barrel" and had to accept the continued use of existing vehicles.
Mr Harvey said he felt that this was a disgraceful way to carry on business. Luxury coaches were being used by East Kent on the Clipper services to the Continent and it was wrong that a new customer should get the vehicles when Hover Lloyd could not.
Questioned by Mr M. A. Thorpe for National Travel, Mr Harvey denied that his company had over-reacted and showed a lack of understanding of East Kent's problems. He agreed that in 1972 and 1973 East Kent had offered luxury coaches but at a much higher price.
Mr Thorpe submitted there had been a material change in circumstances. Just before the date of the new contract East Kent had found itself in a hole with coaches off the road because spare parts could not be obtained; it had been a fight to keep the fleet operational. The hearing was adjourned until today (Friday).