'Souped up' tours bid
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A PROPOSAL by Gloucestershire coach operators and travel agents, Ladvale Ltd, to operate extended tours from Bristol to the Channel Islands would mean wasteful competition with National Travel and British Rail operations from Weymouth.
This was submitted to the Western Traffic Commissioners, at Bristol when National Travel (South West) Ltd, Wessex National and British Rail objected to the proposals.
They claimed that National already held an express licence suitable for making connection with Sealink at Wey mouth, while British Rail provided facilities for the "Bonus Breakaway" holidays in the Channel Islands.
It was claimed existing facilities were reasonably adequate, with train times suitable for connecting with boat sailings. The grant of further road facilities would result in serious loss to rail.
D. P. Cove, for Ladvale, said there was evidence of demand from the company's travel agency side. The proof of need was that it carried no Channel Islands traffic in 1975 but almost 700 people in 1976. In the same period the British Rail figures were less than 200.
But the British Rail figures were out of date, it was claimed. Ladvale, as travel agents, had provided almost a third of its passengers for Bonus Breakaway holidays in February, and it could not be said there was abstraction.
While it was not denied the proposals were "souped up Sealink packages" there was no objection from that company. Sealink was not too bothered about what was happening.
The Commissioners reserved decision until the completion of applications by Ladvale to provide Continental tours from Bristol are concluded, later this month.