Keen Fight for
Page 45
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Express Services
QTRONG objections to an application by Mr. E. G. Hewitt (Premier Omnibus Co.), Watford; for permission to vary his road service licences, were made by three other coach operators and British Railways before the Metropolitan Deputy Licensing Authority, in London, last week. Decision was reserved.
Southdown Motor Services, Ltd., Valliant Direct Coaches, Ltd., and British Railways, opposed Mr. Hewitt's proposals to extend the period of operation of his express services to Brighton and Bognor from White Saturday, or the first Saturday in June, until the end of September; and the United Counties Omnibus Co., Ltd., and Valliant objected to a similar proposal in respect of his service to Bou rnemouth.
-[he railways and Valliant also opposed Mr. Hewitt's application for an additional vehicle to run on his express services to Margate, Yarmouth and Clacton, and the railways only to his proposal to operate a new express service between Watford and Herne Bay.
There was no opposition to his proposals to run additional excursions and tours into • Herts, Bucks and Beds, including runs to Knebworth House, Hatfield House and Woburn Abbey, nor to his application for permission to run excursions and tours on weekdays and Bank Holidays to Margate, Ramsgate, Hastings and EastbOurne.
Mr. R. Beddington, for Mr. Hewitt, said the applications were " modest " and were of the type he usually made annually following review of his operations and the need to improve his services.
The applications were based on figures he had kepi which showed the number of requests for coach seats, to various resorts which he had to refuse in the season because of the limitations of his licences.
For the railways and United Counties, Mr. A. J. F. Wrottesley submitted that the evidence had not proved the need for • the variations sought. United C:ourities had operated the Watford to Bournemouth service for years, and had plenty of room for intended traffic.
This fourth application had not proved the need for extending the service; he said.
Mr. Wrottesley agreed that some relief was desirable in the high season on the Clacton and Yarmouth routes.
Mr. F. Thomsett, for Valliant, said that if the Yarmouth and Clacton applications were granted they would abstract a great deal of traffic from their services from Oxhey and Carpenders Park, particularly on Sundays.
For Southdown, Mr. P. C. Hunt said it was the third or fourth time Mr. Hewitt had applied for extended periods of operations on the Brighton and Bognor services. No fresh evidence had been called to prove that die previous decisions were wrong.
"Mr. Hewitt should be confined in his operations to those destinations in the peak periods of the year when he is assisting the other forms of transport available," added Mr. Hunt.