Final submissions made for Midlands licence

Press, 29 June 1982, Page 3

Final submissions made for Midlands licence

Final submissions were heard yesterday by the Transport Licensing Authority (Mr D. L. Hogan) to decide who will take over the Midland Coachlines’ services from Christchurch to Rangiora, and Southbridge. Decision was reserved. Midland wanted to transfer the runs to the Christchurch Transport Board. But Travelfar Coaches. Ltd, applied for the licence, to run the service to Rangiora and environs, and Holiday Tours and Travel lodged an application for the Southbridge licence. Both applications were opjosed by Midland and the ward with the Canterbury and Westland Drivers' Union supporting the transfer of the licences to the board, because it had guaranteed that there would be no redundancies and that it would employ all 13 drivers on the service.

Counsel for Holiday Tours and Travel, Mr A. A. P. Willy, said that the issue should be decided on the basis of public interest, “not Midland’s wishes.”. The extra Saturday services proposed by the’board were neither necessary nor

desirable, and w-ould mean "substantial running costs" that - would have to be met by the user through a surcharge, or by contributions from the local authorities, he said.

The board also intended to discontinue the freight service. which would not be in the public interest, Mr Willy said.

"The only people who can speak with authority about the wishes of the public are’ the local authorities, anything else is a sectional interest." he said.

Mr Willy told the hearing that five councils had opposed the transfer of the licences to the board, and said that their opposition was “extremely compelling evidence.” “If for no other reason than that, the board's application should be declined, because to grant it in the 'face of that opposition would be to foist a service on the public- which is not wanted, or needed," Mr Willy said.

Counsel for the five local bodies. Mr D. Creroe, said that there were “obvious flaws” in the methods of accounting used by the

board, and that the running costs had been under-estim-ated by about 80c a kilometre.

He also said that the board had no authority to impose or levy rates outside its district which was limited to Christchurch. and its suburbs. The authority had earlier ruled that the restrictions did not apply, but Mr Willy has appealed against the decision to the High Court with the hearing date yet to be set. Representing Midland and the board. Mr H. C. Keyte said that the bus companies’ applications for the licences were “irrelevant" to the issue to be decided.

The licensee (Midland) had “some rights in the matter,” he said.

The company had applied to transfer the licences to the board and the authority could either grant the application or refuse it, Mr Keyte told the hearing. “The licences are not up for grabs. They (Travelfar and Holiday ’Tours and Travel) are essentially pirates because they are attempting to plunder rights which are owned Dy others," he said.