TRIPS FOR TOURISTS

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30555, 25 September 1964, Page 16

TRIPS FOR TOURISTS

Application

Fails

The applicant had hit on a novel idea that showed imagination and vision, but it was premature, said the No. 9 Transport Licensing Authority (Mr J. S. Haywood) yesterday when dismissing an application by Patchett Tours, Ltd., for a new continuous passenger service licence for a nine-passenger minibus for sight-seeing trips within 30 miles from Christchurch.

The applicant had not been able to show sufficiently that there was an unsatisfied demand, said Mr Haywood. The application was opposed by the Christchurch Transport Board (Mr J. G. Hutchison), the Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Taxi Proprietors' Federation (Mr H. W. Hunter), the Railways Department (Mr F. D. Daly) and Midland Motorway Services, Ltd. (Mr J. B. Drake). Mr J. H. M. Dawson, for the applicant, said that his client wished to provide a luxury tour of farms, factories, orchards, and freezing works to give tourists an insight into local industrial, rural, and social activities In addition it was hoped to provide rides in jet boats and amphibian aircraft. Mr D. J. Patchett, managing director of the company, said there was a gap in tourist services which he wished to fill. The tours would be personally conducted, and the bus would be specially furnished to bring it up to the standard of similar buses used overseas. A major point was that tourists could be picked up from their hotels and could decide for themselves what they wanted to see. To Mr Hunter, who asked whether taxis were not doing this type of work adequately, Mr Patchett said that not every cab driver could speak fluent English or know everything about various places.