Commuter makes the service grade
Page 31
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
WHILE many coach firms in the South East still have applications pending to run commuter services to London, Tricentrol have started running a daily service from Bletchley on an existing excursion licence.
They charge El day return, saving the regular commuter with a monthly rail season ticket over £16 a month.
The service started with five passengers and four weeks later it has 30 with numbers building up as rail seasons run out.
Passengers can book in advance at the Tricentrol office in Bletchley or can pay on the coach. The morning journey leaves Bletchley at 0700, arriving in London at 0830. The coach is then used on Tricentrol's regular runs from London to Luton airport to give maximum vehicle utilisation.
Tricentrol managing director, Harold Baggott, told CM that the company also owned a similar excursion licence from Leighton Buzzard. If the Bletchley service built up to around 40 passengers they would then consider starting a second service.
The return run starts at 17.45 from the London pick-up point at Harrow Road and reaches Bletchley at 19.15.
For other coach firms seeking road service licences to run commuter services the outlook is much less rosy. National Travel holds the majority of licences to run into London and its objections are likely to be upheld when a small operator applies. British Rail is also bound to object on the grounds of abstraction of traffic.
No test case has yet been heard. Gastonia Coaches of Cranleigh were due to come before the South Eastern Traffic Commissioners in April but asked for a postponement and have not yet asked for a new date to be set. Warren's Coaches of Alton also have an application in the pipeline to run regular commuter services, but a date has yet to be fixed for this.