76 Witnesses for New • Coach Services

2nd October 1959, Page 63

2nd October 1959

Page 63

Page 63, 2nd October 1959 — 76 Witnesses for New • Coach Services

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A PPLICATIONS by coach operators r-1 for direct express period services from Aylesbury to south and east-coast resorts, and for feeder services between Aylesbury and Luton to connect with existing coastal services, ended at Aylesbury last week. Since the case opened in April, the East Midland Traffic Commissioners have sat. for nine days, heard 76 witnesses and taken note of 72 sets of documents. Their decision is to be announced later.

At the final hearing, Mr. Stephen Terrill, for Keith Garages, Aylesbury, who were applying for a direct service from Aylesbury to Bournemouth, said that they had h9ard the traffic manager of United Counties Omnibus Co., Ltd., Northampton. admit that they had niade a similar application only because Keith had submitted their application.

He said that Mr. J. R._ C. SamuelGibbon, for United Counties, had produced only one witness from Aylesbury to support his application for a feeder service from Aylesbury to Luton. Mr. Terrill asked the Traffic Commissioners to treat the United Counties application as improper. " The application was engineered, in such a way," he added, "that you could not have granted it if you had wished."

Mr. J. Hines, for Buckmaster Garages, Ltd., Leighton Buzzard, applied for a direct service to Bournemouth and Great Yarmouth. He submitted that he had produced ample evidence that there was a large unsatisfied demand for both services. The Buckrnaster application in respect of Bournemouth, however, had been made because Keith Garages,' the established operators in Aylesbury, had not at that time lodged their application. The two operators had now agreed that if such a direct service were granted, it should be given to Keith.

Mr. Hines objected to the United Counties feeder service application: witncsses had stated that they were tired of travelling to Luton and changing coaches. In 1957, Buckmaster's had carried 12,000 people on day trips and many of their customers wanted the facility of period services.

U.S.S.R. AID FOR CEYLON

A GOVERNMENT-OWNED factory .1-1, at Kelaniya, four miles north of Colombo, is expected to produce by 1962 as many tyres and tubes as arc at present imported into Ceylon. The project, which will cost about Rs.30m., will be paid for out of long-term loans amounting to Rs.142nn. provided by Russia.

Operating two shifts, the factory is planned to produce 258,000 tyres and an equal number of tubes in its early stages. Ultimately, the maximum capacity will be 600,000 tyres and tubes.

Ceylon now imports 80,000 tyres and 120,000 tubes annually and consumption is expected to increase to 252,000 by 1962 and 357,000 by 1967.