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Coach operators protest at Mall closure

26th July 1968, Page 27
26th July 1968
Page 27
Page 27, 26th July 1968 — Coach operators protest at Mall closure
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I The Passenger Vehicle Operators Asso:iation has protested to the Minister if ?ublic Building and Works, Mr. Robert viellish, against the proposed closure of the Aall to vehicles on Sundays, on an exierimental basis, from July to September.

The PVOA wrote. to the Minister on July 7 protesting that it had learned of the iroposed closure only by chance and that, .ollowing a meeting with Ministry officials, he Association had been left in no doubt hat it was intended to go ahead with the )lan, without allowing for proper preparaion. The PVOA drew attention to reservaions expressed by many interested parties, ncluding the police, GLC, RAC and the iritish Travel Association, while other assodations including the AA knew nothing of he plan in advance.

The Association told the Minister of its ;urprise that interested parties had not been :onsulted and drew his attention to the lifficulties that would be caused by introlucing the scheme without proper notice. [he PVOA pointed out that the tourist and :oaching industries had been given no con;ideration: that the drive down the Mall was feature of many London tours and was tdvertised in brochures; that people had dready booked for tours which would be iffected; that alternative routes for coaches ;you'd be difficult to provide and that traffic :ongestion was bound to result.

The Association asked the Minister that io scheme be introduced without adequate out that there had been consultations with the GLC, the police and the Ministry of Transport but that wider consultation would have been impracticable. He pointed out that the closure was only an experimental measure, to operate from July 28 to September 29. The position of coach operators had not been overlooked, although it was appreciated that they would be inconvenienced to some extent.

The Minister refused to defer the experiment but said he was prepared to consider any representations from the PVOA after the experiment had finished.

This reply did not satisfy the PVOA, which told the Minister on Tuesday this week that it was because the Minister had stressed the need to "have regard to the interests of Park visitors as a whole" that the Association had pointed out the need for proper consultation and organization of the experiment.

The PVOA had received no details of the alternative arrangements to be made for vehicles, such as permits for coaches entering Royal Parks; the Ministry had been told that the PVOA could, if given details, notify operators within 100 miles of London but these had not been forthcoming and it was now too late to advise other than a few committee members of the effects of the proposals.

The PVOA letter concludes: "We can only reiterate our disappointment that a decision of this nature should be implemented in such a cavalier fashion."

Tags

Organisations: Travel Association
People: Robert
Locations: London

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