Surrey commuters coach it to London
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COMMUTERS from Cranleigh, Surrey, will soon get the chance to travel to London and back by coach — but only for a two-month period.
This is because Gastonia Coaches has a licence to run 40 excursions per year to London, and it intends to run these on consecutive weekdays over a period of two months.
Cranleigh has no direct rail link to London, but over the past three years the coach firm has been thwarted in the traffic courts by objections from British Rail and the National Bus Company in its efforts to run a regular commuter service to London.
Gastonia managing director Martin Noakes told CM that after the 40 excursions he hoped Gastonia would be bet
ter able to present evidence of public need in a future court case.
"We will then have 53 people who have actually made the trip for two months to give evidence to support,our claim for a regular service," he said.
The Gastonia service will take 45 mins longer than the train but Mr Noakes is certain of support from regulars.
He is worried about running a two-month service and then taking it off. "People don't understand why coach operators aren't allowed to compete with BR and NBC," he said. "We will have to tell our customers what is stopping us from running a regular service and keep their support until a new application can be heard in court."