Seatless mini-bus bid fails
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ANapplication for B licences for five mini-buses by Breken Air Freight Services Ltd. was refused by the Metropolitan deputy Licensing Authority, Mr. C. J. Macdonald, in London on Tuesday.
Miss E. Havers, for Breken, said that the application was by an air freight operator who had built up a very substantial business in the past three years. For two or three years it had been using a mini-bus and in June this year had bought four more. It was now applying for licences for five vehicles so that it could take out the seats and increase their capacity.
The managing director of Breken, Mr. Laurence Cantello, said that the business had 170 customers and had recently negotiated a contract for the Phantom project. "We are just starting air freight services to America for the Phantom, which is the largest dollar-earning project in this country", said Mr. Cantello.
fie said that if he was awarded the licences he would still carry on a large proportion of sub-contracting.
Mr. P. Kenworthy-Browne, representing four objectors—F. V. Carroll and Son Ltd., Roy Bowles Transport Ltd., Windsorian Sky Carriers Ltd. and W. Wright and Co. Ltd.—submitted that Mr. Cantello had put forward no prima facie case.
"All his customers have said they are very satisfied with the service they are getting at the moment", said Mr. Kenworthy-Browne. "It is immaterial to the customers whether the mini-buses have seats or not as long as their goods arrive on time."
Refusing the application, Mr. Macdonald said: "Because everything is so obscure in this case. I find myself unable to grant anything at all." No specification had been provided and he was not even clear about what the vehicles looked like. On the registration book the • description of the vehicles was different from that in the application.
"In any application what one looks for is the customers' angle, because the customer comes first", he said. "In this case, they all seem to be happy with the service that they are getting."
Rush Station: Although still incomplete, a £32,000 bus station at Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, was brought into use last Sunday to ease traffic congestion caused by buses parked on the streets. The new station adjoins a El million shopping precinct.
Long-Service Awards: Tribute to the part played by long-serving members of the staff in the progress of the Maidstone and District Motor Services Ltd. was paid by chairman Mr. R. P. Beddow last week when he presented 19 awards for 40 years' and 14 awards for 25 years' service. The number of long-service staff now totals nearly 500.
Housing Hold-up: Eastern National Omnibus Company Ltd. hoped to recruit drivers and conductors from the North by housing them and their families. But requests to local authorities at Southend, Basildon, Chelmsford and Brentwood for accommodation are likely to he refused with the exception of Basildon. The company is 20 per cent short of drivers and cannot recruit staff locally.