Tour buses licensed

Press, 11 June 1982, Page 13

Tour buses licensed

Pacific Tourways. Ltd. has been given permission by the No. 9 Transport District Licensing Authority, Mr D. L. Hogan, to increase its regular sightseeing tours round Christchurch. Pacific Tourways was successful in its application to the authority to have its passenger service licence extended, so that it can run six coaches seating not more than 18. In a reserved decision, the Authority said that evidence during the hearings showed that patronage had increaseci markedly since Midlands withdrew from the service.

Evidence to support Pacific Tourways was also given by Atlantic and Pacific Travel and Vacation Hotels. Ltd, who said they preferred to hire smaller coaches and would use the service, especially now that Midland had withdrawn its service. Most opposition came from established passenger services which were against the incease in seating capacity and the use of more than one vehicle at any pick-up point. It was argued that the applicant was licensed as a small bus operator and that he was now trying to get into the large bus'operation.

The Authority' said that traditionally it had been accepted. that a mini-bus was a 13-seater, but frith the increase in the size of buses it was not unreasonable that a small bus should increase from 13 to 17. The Authority said that if Pacific Tourways was only allowed to use one bus per tour it would hinder the applicant's ability to run the sightseeing service he wished to offer, and for which he now had a steady demand. The new licence allows for two coaches to be used for tours of less than 150 km.