Bournemouth Treble Chance—Not This Year, Say Commissioners
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IN a complicated hearing, involving applications from three operators for I express services to Bournemouth and East Coast resorts, which opened at Aylesbury last week, Mr. C. R. Hodgson, chairman of the East Midland Traffic Commissioners, said that it was Obvious that the proposed services could not be introduced in the holiday season of 1959.
The applicants concerned were Buckmaster Garages, Ltd., Leighton Buzzard, Keith. Garages, Ltd., Aylesbury, and United Counties Omnibus Co., Ltd., Northampton. In addition, United Counties and Seamarks Bros., Ltd., Westoning, Beds, were applying for feeder services to Luton from Aylesbury and Leighton Buzzard respectively.
Buckmaster Garages also sought an express licence from Far Bletchley to Norwich and Yarmouth.
Pick-ups Wanted Mr. J. A. Hines, for Buckmaster, said they were applying for express services from Bletchley, with picking-up points at Leighton Buzzard and Aylesbury, to Bournemouth, Wareham and Weymouth, on Saturdays only in the summer holiday period. For the same period, also on Saturdays, they asked for a service from Bletchley, via Leighton Buzzard and Aylesbury, to Norwich and Yarmouth.
For Keith Garages, Ltd., and their subsidiary company, Red Rover Omnibus, Ltd., Mr. Stephen Terrell. asked for Saturday express service licences to Bournemouth from Aylesbury via Wendovcr, Great, Kimble and Princes Risborough, from the first Saturday in June to the last Saturday in September.
. Mr. I. R. C. Samuel-Gibbon, for United Counties, sought an express licence from Aylesbury to Bournemouth via Wendover, from Whit-Saturday to the end of September (Saturdays only) and for a feeder service from Aylesbury. to Luton via Leighton Buzzard in the same period.
Seamarks, represented by Mr. M. H. Jackson-Lipken, applied for a feeder service from Leighton to Luton, connecting with existing services to the East Coast, Broadly speaking, all the applicants objected to each other, an attitude in which they were supported by British Railways and Premier Travel, Ltd., Cambridge.
70 Witnesses In the first three days of the hearing, some 70 public witnesses were examined. Residents of Bletchley, Leighton Buzzard and Aylesbury all expressed their desire 'for direct services either to the Bournemouth area or the Norfolk Broads.
In cross-examination, most agreed that adequate services to the resorts of their choice were operated from Luton or from the London railway termini, but there was a general feeling that any change of vehicle involving handling of luggage or shepherding of children was best avoided.
An Aylesbury woman, for example, stated that crossing London with twins had "put 10 years on her life" and had led to a domestic upheaval which was not
to be repeated. The secretary of the Aylesbury Liberal Party pleaded for freedom of choice of transport and destination, and the secretary of the Princes Risborough Tenants' and Residents' Association said many of his members were aged and found the walk of a mile to the railway station put them off travelling at all.
Many witnesses agreed, however, that a coach feeder service from their home towns to Luton, where frequent road services were operated to most seaside resorts in the east and south, would meet their needs admirably.
It was not confirmed that the feeder services to Luton would, in fact, terminate at the coastal services bus station. The matter would, however, be cleared up at a separate application in the Metropolitan Area.
The hearing was adjourned until June 1, when it was hoped that the policy witnesses would be heard.
"NO INTERFERENCE BY M.P.s WANTED"
T"introduction of political and Government outsiders into matters which are strictly the concern of the traffic courts was unwise, Mr. W. E Quin, Scottish Licensing Authority, stated last week. He was referring to an instance in which an M.P. had been brought into a particular case and had inaccurately alleged neglect on the part of the Licensing Authority's office.
Mr. Quin declared that the court would not be influenced by outside. representation, but would listen to the evidence presented and then reach a decision based on the evidence and the regulations.
CAUGHT BY DYED PETROL
A BLUE alkaline dye was ptit into petrol -at the Morden (Surrey) depot of A. B. Hemmings, Ltd., London bakers, it was stated at Wimbledon last week. The result was blue stains on the gasket and carburetter of an employee's car, the magistrates heard. They put the employee on probation for two years after he had admitted "milking" a gallon of petrol from a delivery vehicle.