A TRAVEL company is to scale down and move on from its Oakley base, with the managing director blaming bureaucracy for the firm's demise.

Countywide Travel, which has operated its public and private coach business from the yard next door to The Beech Arms, Andover Road, for the past 12 years, is in the process of moving out.

In addition to changing location, the company is also cutting back its operation by abandoning the private-hire side of the business.

John Chadwick, managing director of Countywide Travel, said: "It is getting ever more difficult to operate a private coach company because of increasing pressure coming from the Government and Europe.

"Drivers' hours are now very restrictive, health and safety legislation is very onerous. With the vehicles we have, it costs us a fortune every time we go to London, and there is just so much paperwork to do all of the time.

"All in all, it is very difficult to make any money.

"It has become a waste of time and effort, with a lot of stress and long hours."

The company currently operates a number of public bus services in the Farnborough, Fleet and Aldershot areas, as well as a service linking Basingstoke and Winchester via North Waltham, Steventon and Dummer.

These services are operated under a contract with Hampshire County Council. The contracts in the Hart and Rushmoor areas are up for renewal at the end of July, while the route between Basingstoke and Winchester will continue until next year, when it will be reviewed by the county council.

Countywide is also facing problems at its other site, in Springwell Lane, Hartley Wintney. The company currently parks its buses at Hart District Council's waste and recycling centre, but, due to safety concerns, will have to vacate the premises by the end of next month.

John Elson, head of technical services at Hart District Council, said: "There are a large number of vehicles using the depot, what with the buses, refuse trucks, street cleaning vehicles and staff cars.

"We had managed to, somehow, get by over the years, but the Health and Safety Executive looked at the site and has now decided that it is dangerous.

"The only way to remedy this was to reduce the number of vehicles, which meant giving Countywide Travel three months' notice.

"We would much rather not have done this. Hart, as a council, is a supporter of public transport, but we had no alternative."

Regarding the problems with this site, Mr Chadwick said: "If we are not able to get planning permission for another site in Fleet we will have to either find somewhere to park up overnight or just call it a day.

"The irony is that we have a contract running with Hampshire County Council that is due to be extended at the end of July. If we are not able to find somewhere else, we will probably end up in breach of our contract with them."