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CHAR-A-BANCS NEWS AND COMMENTS.

10th August 1920, Page 21
10th August 1920
Page 21
Page 22
Page 21, 10th August 1920 — CHAR-A-BANCS NEWS AND COMMENTS.
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

Matters of Topical Interest to Proprietors of Motor Coaches.

Day Tours from London.

mum INK has been spilled by certain uninformed writers in the daily Press in a strong encteavour to air grievances against the motor coach, but when it comes to real, rock-bottom facts their only persistent grouse appears to be directed against, isolated instances of se-called hooliganism. We do not dispute that these acts have occurred, but most of those who behave in this unEnglish fashion are just as likely to be hooligans under any conditions of travel. This type of behaviour is typical of a certain section of the community who are, fortunately, in the minority, and it appears to be confined, more or less, to large parties as distinct from those 'passengers who book individually or in twos and three,...

Despite this organized hostility towards the char-a-bancs, however, its popularity remains unimpaired. Throughout the country bookings for extended tours, as well as for day and half-day trips continue to flow at an t1nprecedented rate ; especially is this the 'eaSe in regard to day trips, which are being particularly well patronized.

As a good example of the latter class of tour, we may well tak.e the case of .the London General Omnibus Co., Ltd., which, with commendable enterprise, have inaugurated a series of day trips from the Metropolis. Three tours only are being run at the moment, these being return journeys to Windsor on Wednesdays, Tunbridge Wells on Thursdays, and Hindhead on Mondays. The latter tour was the last to be arranged, and we had the pleasure of participating in the opening run a few weeks ago.

A start was made from St. James's Park Station at 10 a.m. (11 brave souls having decided to risk the elements), and thence the route lie through Kingstonon-Thames, Esher, Ripley, Guildford, Hindhead. Luncheon on the trip is scheduled for 1220 p.m. at Guildford, but as we were half-an-hour before time this gave the more energetic of the party an opportunity of looking round the town.

We might, in passing, fittingly refer to a feature which was much apprebiated by the passengers. On each of the tours a well-informed guide points out the places of historical and geographical interest en route as they are passed. He

sits alongside the driver and faces the passengers when he uses the megaphone with' which he is provided. When any landmark of outstanding interest is passed, he makes a point of stopping the vehicle for the benefit of passengers. He is a. "guide, philosopher, and friend " in every sense of the phrase.

An hour is .allowed for lunch, after which the coach descends the steep High. Street oi Guildford, and, crossing the Wey, the route lies over Pease Marsh and so into picturesque Godalming, thence through Milford Hamlet, and along over wild and rugged pineclustered heaths and commons. The deserted Canadian camp on Witley Common has rather spoilt the countryside hereabouts, but the hammer ponds of Thursley are soon reached, and so with the Hog's Back marking the skyline to the right, the Devil's Punch Bowl at Hindhead is reached. The beauty and grandeur of the scenery impels a. halt here, and a quarter of an hour is allowed for passengers to view the awe-inspiring prospects.

Recommencing, the old Portsmouth Road is left, and the way lies across to Haslemere on the Sussex-Hampshire

borders of Surrey, returning to Guildford through Chiddingfold and Witley villages with their beautiful old cottages, and so through Milford and Godahning again. Guildford is reached at. 4.15 p.m., when tea is taken.

At 4.45 p.m. the chars'asbancs sets out for London. It traverses a. string of olds world villages on the ridge of the North Down. Passing through Merrow, the road skirts the finely timbered estates of Clandon Park, and through the villages of .West Clanslon and East Clanclon to West -Horsley. Skirting the ground of East Horsley Towers, which can be seen in the distance and ivere considered to be of sufficient importance to call a halt, the road, now over-arched by the foliage of massive beeches, passes through the scattered village of Effingham, then through Great Bookhaan, and so passes Feteham Park over the/Mole into Leatherhead. Passing 'eatherhead Common the roadsgoes. over Telegraph Hill, so called 'becauseit was a station of the old London-Portsmouth semaphore.

On looking back from, the top of the hill the thickly wooded hills of Surrey can be seen extending, ridge upon ridge, as far as the eye can reach. The road then runs over lashet Common, and then, with the cornfields of Claygate on one hand and the meadows of Chessington at the other, along into Kingston again, and then along by Wimbledon Common and Putney Heath into the main approaches to London, St. James's Park titration being reached at about 7.15 p.m.

The . tour is exceptionally well organized, and no pains have been spared by the company to make the trip a complete success. One of the points which. have received particular attention—and it is one which is often overlooked by coach proprietors—is -that of providing firstclass meals. Both the excellent luncheon and tea were taken at Brett's reitanrant, in Guildford, and were served in the very best style.

To those who can spare time from the harassing incidentals of business life, and the more leisurely, the day tours so ablyorganized by the L.G.O.Co.• cannot fail to make appeal, especially in view of the high railway rates and the fact that each of these tours is carried out for the moderate awn of 21s. inclusive.

The vehicle on which we took our trip was, of course, an A.E.C. and -it ran throughout the day withesit a hitch of any sort. A noticeable feature was its smoothness of running, and either the roads were in a very fair conditionsor the springing was particularly good. We suspect the latter.

The feature of running to a definite schedule is to be commended, . and although the party was not "rushed" in any way, the scheduled ,times were closely approximated. The magnificent scenery, good meals, and a day in the open all combined to snake the trip .a. delightful, health-giving stimulant.

Exploiting the Char-a-bancs Owner.

THE motor char-asbanes proprietor is being made the sUbject of a newly evolved form of exploitation. There is no doubt about it, that the c.har-lobancs, or the "chariot of democracy," as it has been called, has made an appeal to the popular imagina

C24 Lion, and until quite recently contracts in.practically all cases were made direct between hiring parties and ohar-a-bancs owners.

There are now people actinilri quite a private capacity, who, under the pretext of arranging a picnic party, are canvassing people to join, quoting a price inclusive of fare, dinner and teas—and we noticed from a hill exhibited in the window of a private house in a less residential and poorer part of a Liver

pool central district, refreshments on the road." These people are not organizing picnics for the love of the 'thing, they would not have window cards printed for this purpose merely ; they are,out to line their own pockets, and they do this at the expense of the public and the char-a-bancs owner,

" WI-sy the char-a-bancs owner? " it, may be asked.

Obviously the people referred to are out to get the best price they can get for their organizing efforts. They go to one proprietor and then another, mentioning prices quoted by other proprietors for a run to so and so. By this method they get coaches at rock bottom prices, for the simple reason that not all the owners asre organized, and do not ply for a uniform rate, hence are competing in such a way that he 'whose tender is accepted lends direct encouragement to these enterprising individuals who see money in char-a-bancs picnics. Here is a particular case. A Liverpool concern quoted their price for a return trip to Blackpool. Oh," said their interrogator, "we have got a lower price than that." " Well, wheels it?'' The price wasfl3s. 6d. Dinner and tea were to be provided to cost 5s. for both meals, making in all 18s. 6d. The price of a ticket was £1, leaving is. 6d. per head profit, or on a 30 seater vehicle £21.5s. to recompense the individual for his efforts in organizing the outing.

Other similar instances have been beard of, and we quote, this as a recent typical case, merely to warn char-a-banes owners, whose experiences generally show that the public are prepared to pay,' and sometimes handsomely, for a day's touring, against this type of individual

interests nterests are always best served by cut prices.

Should Drivers Wear Badges.

THE driver of the motor char-k-hancs in seaside resorts is not without his personal dignity, to which he regards as an affront the legal enactment requiring him to wear in a conspicuous position a badge issued by the local icensing authority.

At Llandudno in North Wales there is a feeling amongst the drivers that it is infra dig. to wear these metallic "breast plates," on the groundf that they are 'superior to Ordinary cabmen. So, many of them, instead of wearing them, keep them intheir pockets to produce when calledupon. The contention of the Llandudno Council, however, is that the badge showed that the driver's credentials had been examined by the local authority, and it was a protection for the public.

TheLlandudno Council however, appear to besout sto secure recognition of the local by-law, and summoned a driver,

who was helping to load up passengers do-, a char-Iobancs, alleged to be plying for hire, without wearing his badge. An inspector asked him for the badge, and upon it being produced from his pocket, he was tola to wear it. For not putting it on his outer coat as requested be was fined 10s.

We feel sure that there wquld -be no objection on the part of the drivers to wearing a badge reasonable in dimensions and not displeasing to theseye. There is no reason why the unsightly metallic disc, distinguished only by its numbering, should be persisted in, when a design might be struck which would commend itself to drivers as being more inconsonance with the status of their calling rather than that of a penal institution.

The Pace of Chars-a-bancs. and.:Lorries.

Fast Riding County Council has called the attention of/the chief constable to the importance of enforcing the legal speed limit of either eight or twelve miles per hour': as the.case may be, of chars-abanes and heavy motor lorries so as to reduce as much as possible the wear and tear of the roads.


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