Express Service Application Need Not Have Been Made
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I F he had known that Keith Garages, Ltd., Aylesbury had made an applica: lion for an express period return coach service to Bournemouth, he would not have made a similar application from Leighton Buzzard, said Mr. David B. Towse, managing director of Buckmaster Garages, Ltd., Leighton Buzzard, at a resumed inquiry before the East Midland Traffic Commissioners, at Aylesbury on
Monday. • The hearing was considering applications for direct period coach services to South and East Coast resorts from Keith Garages, Buckmaster Garages and United Counties Omnibus Co., Ltd. Requests were also being made for feeder services by United Counties and Seamarks Bros., Ltd., Westoning, Beds, to Luton from Aylesbury and Leighton Buzzard respectively (The Commercial Motor, April 24).
Mr. Towse agreed that if the licences were to be granted to operate from Aylesbury to Bournemouth it would be more appropriate that it should be operated by the local coach company-.-Keith Coaches, Ltd.
Mr. Towse produced two lists of people who had visited Buckmaster's offices inquiring for services to Bournemouth and Gt. Yarmouth, and agreed with Mr. S. Terrell, for Keith Garages, and Mr. J. R. C. Samuel-Gibbon for United Counties, that of the many names on the list, he had called only nine as witnesses at the hearing in April.
When the hearing continued onTuesday, Mr. Towse was cross-examined for seven hours. Most of this was time spent on questions concerning two of his documents, and eventually Mr. Towse admitted that they were not originals. To Mr. Jackson Lipkin, for Seamark Bros., Mr. Towse admitted that he had not checked their accuracy.
Mr. Lipkin produced a number of Buckmastcr's newspaper advertisements, and Mr. Towse agreed that his company had no licence for some of the trips advertised as starting from Leighton Buzzard. Mr. Towse denied that he had attempted to create a demand for a particular service by continual advertising.
Mr. R. Beigrove, traffic manager of Keith Garages, said his company had operated a day excursion service to Bournemouth from Aylesbury on Sundays since the 1930's, and had built up a great deal of goodwill for it. Last year, despite inclement weather, 10 excursions, taking 577 passengers, were run. Many of their passengers had asked for a period return service starting on Saturdays.
He admitted to Mr. A. J. Wrottesley, for British Railways, that, in spite of having to change at London, it was possible to reach Bournemouth as quickly by train as by the proposed coach service.
The inquiry continued 2 -Wednesday.