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Breaking into London

9th April 1983, Page 67
9th April 1983
Page 67
Page 67, 9th April 1983 — Breaking into London
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

ir an independent bus )erator to compete ith London Transport kes a lot of application Culture Bus, which is been trying since :tober 1980, found it. Noel Millier plains

THOUGH the 1980 Transport t made it marginally easier for prospective bus operator to npete with London Transport, ire have been few serious npetitive ventures launched he capital since.

kmos is undoubtedly one, but m before Amos was conived, Michael Doyle of ickenham thought there was leed for a London sightseeing vice with a difference.

-le thought there was room for our that allowed passengers get on and off the bus as they iased. A similar operation, Pwn as Culture Bus, operates Washington DC, and is pular and profitable.

\ good idea is one thing; putg into practice is something e. Mr Doyle had been operat1 coaches only since May 1980 t did have the advantage of ing an accountant. In October 1980 he began planning Culture Bus in detail and by April 1981 was ready to apply for a London Bus agreement to operate the service.

In June London Transport refused the application, saying the demand was already catered for in its existing services and any new service would be likely to abstract passengers.

Michael Doyle disagreed and re-applied. Again London Transport refused. Undeterred, he approached Limebourne Coaches subsidiary Cityrama with a view to operating a new joint company. It liked the idea and its representative joined the board of Culture Bus.

A solicitor was engaged and Culture Bus reapplied. LT saw no reason to change its mind and refused. Culture Bus countered by calling in to play the Secretary of State for Transport. A public inquiry was held on the 16, 17 and 30 March 1982 and was conducted by the Minister's inspector, A. S. Robertson.

During the inquiry, Culture Bus produced questionnaires and witnesses supporting its case. The witnesses included tourists who stated that there was a need for the service, and travel agents who said they would sell pre-paid tickets for the service.

The Commercial Motor Table of Operating Costs was used to support the viability and proposed costings of the Culture Bus service.

London Transport's case, which included detailed objections to individual Culture Bus stops, was supported by the Greater London Council and the London Borough of Lambeth. The Metropolitan Police were also concerned about certain operational route details.

At the end of the hearing, the inspector concluded that there were four options open to the Minister. First, he could allow the appeal and allow Culture Bus to be operated.

Second he could allow the appeal in principle, but not allow the service to operate until operational objections had been overcome. Third, he could disallow the appeal in view of the police's operational evidence.

Lastly, he could disallow the appeal on the grounds that LT was already meeting the needs of Greater London.

In the event he recommended the second option, and in October 1982 the Minister agreed in principle to allow Culture Bus to operate, subject to agreeing a route with the police and local authorites.

A modified route was worked out with the Metropolitan Police, the appeal was granted, and Culture Bus now plans to start operation in May.

I asked Michael Doyle how much it had cost in legal fees to get agreement, and whether he felt he could have succeeded without the help of the legal profession?

To become a London stage bus operator had taken over two years and cost between three and four thousand pounds in legal fees.

With hindsight, he felt he could have managed by himself but only if he had prepared an extremely detailed application.

Culture Bus is now acquiring five ex-London Transport Daimler Fleetline double-deckers which are to be painted in an all-yellow livery.

Its route runs for 18 miles with 20 stops at major tourist attractions. Passengers will be able to board and alight wherever they chose and travel as often as they like on the day.

A flat fare of £2.50 will be charged. Wherever possible, prepaid tickets will be sold and no change will be given on the buses. Culture Bus plans to operate between 09.00 hours and 17.00 each day and each bus is expected to cover the route 17 times.

The moral of the story is that there is no easy road to becoming a London bus operator, but with a good idea, careful planning, and a great deal of time and patience breakthroughs can be made.

The preparation must be extremely detailed and the applicant must be sure to identify likely objectors to his proposal and overcome objections under the intense cross-examination only a barrister can inflict. If the applicant feels unable to withstand this, a well briefed counsel is a must.

The case must be seen to be viable and proposals concerning vehicle garaging and operational costs must be prepared and presented in the greatest of detail. Buses must be taken along the routes to check timing and the likely effects on and of traffic congestion. Potential users and even objectors must be identified to ensure that a need for the service can be proven and credible projected loadings can be presented.

Consultations with the police are a must. And finally, plans must be long-term. The proposals must be as relevant two years ahead for they could take that long to be achieved.


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