I refer to your editorial in the Evening Press ('Left Fuming By All These Buses,' February 14,) about the proposal by Bath MP Don Foster to make an amendment to the forthcoming Transport Bill to exclude "tour buses" from entitlement to fuel duty rebate.

By "tour buses" we believe Don Foster means local bus services operated by open-top buses. Our tours help reduce city traffic because many of our customers leave their cars or coaches and use our services for sightseeing and as a bus service around the city centre. Our route offers links not provided by the local bus network and these are used by local residents.

We comply in all respects with the criteria to qualify for fuel duty rebate and the Department of Transport closely monitors our compliance with these.

Our customers may either buy single fares between the many stops on our route, or an all-day tour ticket allowing them to get on and off at their leisure.

Not only does our business bring employment and prosperity to the city, our own surveys show that customers using our tours contribute fully to the economic life of York. We encourage them to stay longer than they originally intended, enabling them to visit the city's attractions. Customers using our services are bona fide bus passengers, no different to those using any other bus services, and deserve the same benefits.

There is no reason to discriminate against local bus services operated by open-top buses, they contribute to the overall transport network as much as any other local bus service.

Additionally, fuel rebate allows us to commit resources to refitting our tour buses in Edinburgh, York and Stratford-upon-Avon to operate on environmentally friendly LPG. Throughout winter all our tours have used LPG-powered buses in York and we will continue to increase their use.

Anthony Dee,

Operations Manager,

Guide Friday Ltd.,

Exhibition Square, York.

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