IT'S YES TO SOUTHALL'S ASIAN EXPRESS
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AN APPLICATION by a Southall coach company to run a service to the West Midlands serving Sikh temples was granted this week by the Traffic Commissioners despite objections from National Bus and British Rail.
Mr Kishan Singh Jhimb, proprietor of Jhimb Coaches, had applied for a variation of an express licence granted in July 1974 to run the service between Southall and Coventry, Birmingham and Wolverhampton.
The chairman of the Metropolitan Commissioners, Mr A. S. Robertson, said: "We have inevitably gained considerable knowledge of the mode of life, customs, religious and social, travel habits and lack of linguistic ability of the ethnic groups settled in and around Southall."
The variation asked—for two departures in each direction daily with six picking-up points and period return and single fares as against one departure each way with one vehicle on Saturdays only with the return the next day.
At the West Midlands hearing the Commissioners heard there were 30,000 Asians in Southall and another 30,000 in Birmingham. Chairman Mr A. A. Crabtree said: "These facts alone would lead one to think that there was some need for passenger facilities between the two communities."
The, application was agreed by West Midlands Traffic Commissioners on the condi• tion that the Metropolitan -Commissioners granted the application.
Metropolitan Commissioner Mr A. S. Robertson granted one departure in each direction on weekdays with one on Saturday and a return on Sunday with only one vehicle operating at any one departure time.
The Commissioner heard that Mr Jhimb owned two 10-year-old coaches and planned to buy two more new ones, and he presented petitions with nearly 1,000 names in support of the application.
Objectors to the application were National Travel's North West and Midlands areas, Crosville Motor Services and Midland Red and British Rail. The Commissioners said ii their written decision that till objectors had failed to shov they they had improved thei service between the point making the new service unne cessary.
Mr Jhimb's new servici operated within picking-ui points at various Sikh temple in the West Midlands am fulfilled a need.
But the Commissioners sai( that they believed that if thi current licence was merel extended as was propose( then Mr Jhimb was likely t( find himself in a positiot where he would find difficult with the increased adminis tration and adherence to th( terms of the licence.