Colonial Coach Services (Hansard, 26 June 1957)

§ Mr. Watkinson

I informed the House just before the Recess that I had received the Air Transport Advisory Council's recommendations about the future basis of Colonial Coach services and that I was consulting the Commonwealth and Colonial Governments concerned. I have now received the comments of these Governments, all of whom have agreed in principle to the Council's proposals. Subject, therefore, to consideration of points of detail, I propose to accept the Council's recommendations.

The A.T.A.C. took into account:

(i) the valuable service to the public, in the form of cheap travel facilities, which the independent companies have made available on the Colonial Coach routes;
(ii) the increasing economic difficulty of using older aircraft, such as the Viking, on the African routes;
(iii) the gradual achievement by the Colonies of independent status, which will limit the scope for Colonial Coach services, since these services can only be operated between the United Kingdom and Colonial Territories;
(iv) the trend towards higher density seating on tourist services with corresponding fare reductions which may extend to African routes in two or three years' time. These new tourist services (referred to by the A.T.A.C. as "T.34" tourist services) are likely to provide fares lower than existing Colonial Coach fares.

39W

For the interim period until the higher density (T.34) fares are introduced on the African routes, the Council have recommended:—

(a) On their existing Colonial Coach services to Nairobi and Salisbury, Airwork and Hunting-Clan should be allowed to introduce Hermes and/or Viscount aircraft, subject to these aircraft being fitted with the maximum density seating; the approved frequency should be slightly reduced to take account of the greater capacity of the new aircraft but otherwise the conditions should be as present;
(b) As it is no longer possible, now that Ghana has become an independent member of the Commonwealth, to continue Colonial Coach services to Accra, Airwork and Hunting-Clan should be permitted to operate a Tourist Class service to Accra by way of the West Coast route through Bathurst and Freetown. There should be no restriction on aircraft types, but the frequency should be as at present. This service would have to be operated at current tourist fares agreed through the International Air Transport Association.
(c) In Europe, there should be no change for the present, but the Colonial Coach services to Cyprus and Gibraltar should be reviewed in the light of experience of the interim arrangements on other routes.

For the future, following the introduction of T.34 fares on the African routes, the Council have recommended:

(a) On their existing routes to Nairobi, Salisbury and Accra, Airwork and Hunting-Clan should be allowed to provide T.34 services instead of Colonial Coach services on the basis of B.O.A.C. having 70 per cent. and Airwork and Hunting-Clan together having 30 per cent. of the U.K. share of the capacity needed for the new class of service (these are about the proportions in which Tourist plus Colonial Coach traffic is at present divided between B.O.A.C. and the independent companies). B.O.A.C. should continue to cater for the U.K. share of the higher classes of traffic on the routes. There should be no restrictions on the aircraft which Airwork and Hunting-Clan can use and, as they will be operating normal tourist services at I.A.T.A. fares, they should be allowed to carry mail as well as supplementary freight.
(b) The division of T.34 capacity between the Corporations and the independent companies on the African routes should not be varied except possibly after periodic review by the Council.
(c) In Europe, no change should at present be contemplated as regards the operation of the Colonial Coach services to Cyprus and Gibraltar.

I have been concerned lest the independent operators, who have established services on certain Colonial Coach routes, should, through the general trend towards lower fares and through the attainment by Colonial Territories of independence, be deprived of the opportunities they have created for themselves in the form of Colonial Coach services. I believe the Air Transport Advisory Council has found a solution to the problem which will be of benefit to the independent operators. The recommendations of the Council will now free the Colonial Coach operators from some of their present restrictions and will give them, on their existing Colonial Coach routes, a continuing share in the future operation of low-fare services.