Tai Tapu bus service licensed

Press, 26 February 1977, Page 7

Tai Tapu bus service licensed

A restricted licence to run; a bus in the Tai Tapu area, has been granted after a, hearing by the No. 9 Transport Licensing Authority (Mr I D Hogan). Mr Hogan told the app)i-[ cant, Mr H. D. Hamilton, that the licence would en-l able him to pick up passen-i gers from within about s(km ’ (3L miles) of the Tai Tapu. Post Office but only for journeys within a 40-mile radius. No trip was to be longer: than one day and al! passengers were to be returned to the pick-up point. In order to protect other! route operators, and so that a spare licence was not' ‘ floating around" in the district, Mr Hogan said the licence would expire on March 31. 1978. although at that! time it could be reviewed depending on the need shown for such a service in the Taij Tapu area. The application was sup-: ported by six independent! witnesses from Tai Tapu—mainly spokesmen and; women for sporting clubs and! a gardening club—-who alii felt that there was a need for’

11 an improved service in the i i area. >■ Mr Hamilton, who, with ;his wife, trades as Travelon, (already runs a school-bus I service under contract to the ■'Canterbury Education Board •i carrying children to the Tai J Tapu and Halswell primary ’[schools. He has two buses, a 1 ! 45-seat vehicle bought in late 1 j1975 for more than 830.000. land a 36-seat vehicle, in good ■.condition. Mr Hogan limited the new [ i licence to one vehicle. Mr Hamilton said he had ■ (been approached by residents - in the Tai Tapu area for char- !; ters, but not being licensed i he was unable to accept the . work. i[ The application was t! opposed by the Railways •Road Services, Midland i[ Motorways, and the Mount i J Cook and Southern Lakes (Tourist Company, which runs ■ia subsidiary in Halswell, W. rand H. Motors, Ltd. ■ AU three firms said that ii as buses were already availl! able for contract work in Tai ( Tapu there was no need for •' another service. I