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National oppose express service to Europe

26th November 1976
Page 25
Page 25, 26th November 1976 — National oppose express service to Europe
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

APPLICATIONS for road service licences for a proposed European express coach service are being opposed by a number of bus and travel companies, on the grounds that the services would reduce passenger traffic on their own routes.

At hearings in the Metropolitan Traffic Commissioners court in Acton last week, Mr John Malcolm Barr said the aim of the propose routes was to provide a "fast, comfortable, mostly non-stop, and economical" coach service between major European cities.

The applications are being opposed by a consortium of competing companies, includ east), National Travel (Midlands), British Rail, and three smaller tour operators.

Under the complicated procedures for granting licences to operate between countries, Wallace Arnold has had to apply to the EEC to operate between EEC countries. For routes to cities outside the Community, however, the company has had to apply to UK traffic courts.

The non-EEC routes under consideration in Acton last week were to Athens, Barcelona, Istanbul, Moscow and Vienna.

Further hearings are scheduled for this week and for two dates in December. Final approval or rejection of the applications is not expected until mid-December at the earliest.

The objecting companies cited existing road and rail links that would lose a portion of their present traffic to the new service. This would, they argued, severely hamper their own efforts to build up a passenger transport network.

In the case of National Travel, some of the licences applied for by Wallace Arnold conflict with prior applications for similar routes made by National.

Evidence was heard this week on the Moscow and Vienna routes. Originally, there were four objectors to the granting of a licence to Moscow. At the hearing three of those withdrew their objections, leaving British Rail as the sole objector.

Two companies, British Rail and National Travel (Southeast), have filed objections to the proposed Vienna route.


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