Yellow tourism buggies 'a gimmick' says ex-mayor

Buy photos » These yellow tour buggies are set to become a familiar sight in Stratford. (s)

THE MAN behind new sightseeing yellow tour buggies in Stratford has hit back at claims they are a gimmick.

Former Stratford mayor Cyril Bennis said the new satnav buggies, which people can rent and drive through the town touring its historic sites, would make Stratford look like a 'theme park'.

He insisted the open-top buggies were not in-keeping with the town's unique character and branded them a gimmick.

But Dave Herdman, the man behind the new scheme, said they were simply a modern and fun addition to the town.

He said: "We need things to bring the town up to the 21st century.

"Stratford is a historical, cultural town but it doesn't mean to say people can't have fun going to see all of the sights.

"People can actually get around not only the town of Stratford, but out to the likes of Anne Hathaway's Cottage and Mary Arden's.

"It's very economical, only a 50cc moped engine so it's not using a lot of fuel and it's not leaving a lot of emissions.

"It's aimed at being a bit of fun for everybody to get out and about in a bit of fresh air."

But Cyril Bennis stressed the need for the town to 'retain its character'.

He said: "Stratford is a lovely market town and has a lot of historical sites.

"But the theme park road is one I don't think we want to go down in this town."

The tour buggies, first launched in London, cost £22 to rent for half an hour, £35 for an hour or £85 all day.

They are fitted with satnavs to guide people around the historic sites and have no pedals or gears but the driver must have a full licence.

Visit http://tourbuggies.co.uk for more information.

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