Colonial Coach Services (Hansard, 24 July 1957)

§ Mr. Watkinson

The following is my letter to the chairman of the Council:

20th February, 1957.

As I mentioned to you this morning, I am proposing to review the terms on which Colonial Coach services are approved and operated to see whether they are consistent with present-day conditions. In view of your Council's wide experience of these services, I should be glad to have their advice on what changes, if any, are desirable.

I need hardly remind you that the Colonial Coach services were introduced to give the independent companies the opportunity to provide a lower class of service than the Corporations, with older aircraft (such as Yorks and Vikings)and at cheaper fares, thus catering for a completely new market. Some of the companies had already been providing a limited service of this nature under charter arrangements.

I think it is fair to say that the introduction of these services has been fully justified and that the independent companies have been able to provide a valuable service to the public which would not otherwise have been available. Changing conditions have, however, made the continuation of the services with the existing limitations extremely difficult. In the first place, the aircraft which were acceptable for these services in 1953 have become less satisfactory to the public in view of the great strides in aeronautical development in the meantime. Moreover, the more modern aircraft, in spite of its higher initial cost, is proving much more economical to operate than the older aircraft such as the Viking. We are, therefore, quickly reaching the position where the Corporations with their large and comfortable turbo-prop aircraft may be able to offer fares as low as those now charged by the Colonial Coach operators. B.O.A.C. have in fact recently proposed to the International Air Transport Association that tourist services with high density seating should be introduced on all the major international routes at fares slightly below the rate at present charged on the Colonial Coach services to East, West and Central Africa. I realise, however, that while B.O.A.C. continue to operate Argonaut and Constellation aircraft on their services to East and West Africa, it may be difficult for your Council, under the present Terms of Reference, to recommend that Airwork and Hunting-Clan should be permitted to operate their Colonial Coach services with more modern aircraft.

The second major difficulty arises from the constitutional changes that are now taking place in the Colonial territories. Already Sudan has achieved its independence; Ghana will become independent in a few weeks time. So the field in which the independent companies can operate will be gradually restricted if they continue to be limited to operating their services on cabotage routes. As the independent companies have pioneered these Colonial Coach routes and have built up a substantial volume of traffic, it would be unfair to deprive them of the fruits of their labours simply because of constitutional changes which could not have been foreseen when the services were started.

I should be grateful, therefore, if your Council would consider and let me have their advice on whether, in view of the changing 48W conditions, it is desirable to alter the basis on which the Colonial Coach services are operated, so as to give the independent companies who are at present providing them the opportunity to continue to develop the services they have pioneered. I am anxious to make a very early decision on this matter, so I should be glad if you could arrange to let me have your views quite quickly.

If my Department can help in any way, for instance in the provision of statistics or other background information, please do not hesitate to call on their assistance.

HAROLD WATKINSON.

The Rt. Hon. Lord Terrington, K.B.E.