Kent Minibus Bids Rejected
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THE Metropolitan Deputy Traffic Commissioner, Mr. C. J. Macdonald, last week rejected two applications by Dr. Herbert Nesbitt Heffernan, of Thames Weald, Fawkham Road, West Kingsdovvn, Sevenoaks, to run express carriage services with minibuses.
In his first application, heard in September, Dr. Heffernan, trading as Thames Weald Travel, of Sevenoaks, • sought to operate an 311-the-year-round . service on Saturdays only from Dartford to Maidstone, with a summer extension to Tenterden, Rye, Camber Sands, and Ferryfield Airport.
British Railways, Maidstone and District Motor Services, Ltd., East Kent Road Car Co., Ltd., ChiEs Saloon Coaches, Ltd., and Grundons Coaches, Ltd., objected to this application.
In his second application, last week, pr. Heffernan sought to run one or two 12-seater minibuses on Wednesdays from Darenth Park to Tunbridge Wells throughout the year, serving a number of villages on the route.
• From June to September, he said, he wished to extend the journey to Hailsham, Eastbourne and Cuckmete Haven.
"The proposal is to meet the need for day return trips."
He realiied he would be accused of trying to rob existing services, but, ,;o far as he knew, this was not the case. "People don't travel from the points I am proposing to serve, because they cannot easily do it." Ile called four customer witnesses.
The companies who objected to his first application also objected to his second, and other objectors were W. Davies (Sevenoaks), Ltd, A. Timpsons, and Southdown Motor Services, Ltd.
They said the proposed services would duplicate existing services which were already running at a loss. They held that inadequate evidence had been presented.
Rejecting the applications, Mr. Macdonald said that no measure of spontaneous demand from the public had been shown for the new proposed service. Even if the evidence for such a service had been stronger, he would still have to take into account that existing services were unrernunerative.