PASSENGER TRAVEL NEWS.
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The Latest Doings and Developments in the Bus and Coach World.
MAINTAINING DAILY COACH RUNS.
The Experiences and Activities of a Liverpool Company who were Pioneers in Passenger Road Travel
ONE well remembers that a few years ago the daily motor coach service was a novelty. It has now passed this stage, however, and although its organizers have had to encounter fierce opposition, its survival may be regarded as a distinct triumph for their pertinacity and dependability, coupled with judicious advertising, Collingwood.Motors (Liverpool), Ltd., of Dale Street, Liverpool, were one of the pioneers of regular daily coach journeys, and this year, with a fleet of four 28-seater Daimler coaches, two 14seaters and two private cars, they are again runnimr.services to Blackpool and
other centres. Although the rate to Blackpool is now less than half of what it originally was, the company's slogan, " One or twenty we go," is still re 'echoed daily. Every week about 500 passengers are booked, and by dint of persistent publicity in the Press, on the hoardings, by window bills, booklets, etc., the name " Collingw-ood " is always directly associated with Blackpool.
The company claim that since they have been m business they have never -broken faith with the public, and the occasion has frequently arisen when they have booked up every available seat on their own coaches and have had to hire additional vehicles, The company run daily services to Blackpool, Buxtim, Macclesfield, Knutsford and Southport, whilst three times a week their vehicles pay a visit to, Corwen and Llangollen, and once a week to Morecambe, Thus, irrespective of the number of bookings, three vehicles are earmarked for daily services.
For the Blackpool run, which is the most popular, a 28-seater is invariably employed and occasionally an additional 14-seater, or other vehicles, according to the number of surplus bookings. During the Blackpool carnival week 700 passengers were conveyed to the Lancashire resort.
For the other journeys the type and size of vehicle employed depends upon the number of bookings, which are never regarded as complete until a few minutes before starting time. Often enough it happens that on the evening of the day previous to the run there is not a single booking, yet passengers to the number of a full load present themselves at the coach station in the morning with the perfect assurance of being able to book.
Of course, ether Liverpool and district
coach owners frequently advertise tours to the destinations served daily by Collingwood Motors, Ltd„ and sometimes when their bookings do not amount to a minimum load their. passengers are transferred to the Collingwood vehicles. In this way the daily coach, by providing a regular and clear-cut service, does render. other local owners a helping hand. It is possible that if the journeys were not regular and not a matter of daily roufine various local owners would all engage in hooking for journeys to Blackpool, with the result that the revenue might, be so divided as to reduce the reeeipts of individual proprietors to an unreintmerative level.
Last season there were three separate daily motor coach services from Liverpool to Blackpool, all of which were run at the same daily return fare, namely, 7s. 6d. This year there are only two, hut sometimes other owners advertise odd trips, especially at week-ends, at lower fares, and a figure as low as 55. has been quoted for the 95-mile journey.
The service coaches of Collingwood Motors, Ltd., work strictly to timetable, and it can always be determined within a few minutes where the coach will be at any intermediate place on the line of route. Every morning Blackpool and Derbyshire coaches leave the Collingwood station at 10 a.m. (Sundays 10.30 a.m.), returning promptly at 6 p.m. from Blackpool, 5.30 p.m. from Buxton, 6.35 p.m. from Macclesfield, and 7.30 p.m. from Knutsford. The return times are a half an hour later in each case on Sundays. Similar arrangements are in vogue for the Corwen, Llangollen and Morecambe journeys and also for the afternoon run to Southport.
Passengers may book to the destinations visited daily (1) return same day, (2) single, and (3) long-date return, the respective fares being : Blackpool, 7s. 6c1., Si. 6d., and 9s.; Buxton, 9s., 7s. 6d., and 12s. ; Macclesfield, 'Is. 6cL, 6s. 6d., and 10s. ; and Knutsford, 6s., 5s., and 9s. The fares for children over
three years of age and under eleven years are just a trifle over half the ordinary charges. The head MEC& of Collingwood Motors, Ltd., has waiting-room accom• modation for passengers. As to private coach hire, the experience of the Collingwood Motors, Ltd., is that, although the number of bookings compares very favourably with those of last year, the length of the journeys has been noticeably short. Private-party organizers this season have -invariably selected nearer destinations, .travelling 20 or 30 Miles outward, when in previous years. they would just as readily have chosen journeys of double the dis-7 tance. Obviously the shorter journeys have not yielded as good a return as the full-day engagements. For the autumn the company have in nrind resuming their weekend tours trt Morecambe and other places in that district, allowing for a short stay at each centre. Tours are also in process of being arranged to Matlock, Windermere and Harrogate. In connection with the hi-weekly service to London, which is being main• tam-tied by the New Brighton Motor Coach. Co., Crillinewood. Motors, Ltd., are acting as booking agents. These journeys are started each Monday and Thursday during August and Septerri bar. The eoaches travel via Oxford, -where the first and last nights are spent, the remainder of the time being occupied in London, where hotel accommodation is reserved for passengers. The tour occupies seven days, and the fare is eight guineas. During July an 11-day Scottish tour was organized, the charge being £16 10s., and an 11-day tour in Devonshire was run at a similar cost.
Co-operative Society's Coach Tours.
CO-OFERATIVE societies in Midland areas have this season taken a prominent part. in arranging char-abanes tours, and whilst from many of the regular coach proprietors there have been complaints as to excessive cutting of rates, the result has been to impart considerable stimulus to competition to the general advantage of the public. It has been complained that in many districts the result of working agreements among certain owners has been to maintain rates at a high level, and a leavening process is now being effected through the larger participation of cooperative organizations in the work. As an example, the itineraries of the Derby Society's tours afford striking evidence of the extent of the journeys which can
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be enjoyed for a moderate outlay, the list of places including Dovedale, one of the beauty spots of the Peak territory ; Alton Towers, Matlock and the Manifold Valley, tbe latter by way of Ashbourne, Lode Bill, Alstonfield, Rulme End, Hartington, via Gellia and C.:romford, embracing some of the most picturesque features among Derbyshire's unrivalled scenery. Popularizing the Small Coach. rrHE SMALL coach built for comfort 1 is certainly proving the most tiseful vehicle for long-distance touring, and we illustrate one of the latest. products of Messrs, Spicer's Motors. 09, Eastbourne Road, Birkdale, Southport. The chassis employed is a 50-cwt, Ztype Lancia with a body designed to seat 19 passengers, and as the Vehicle has been specially built for long-distance work much attention has been given to detail, the seat cushions being bnilt up ore well-sprung frames and comfortable back squabs being also employed. The upholstery is carried out in real blue leather, all fittings being nickel-plated, and the body finished in silver-grey. It is interesting to note that this vehicle, which has been pureha.sed by Messrs, Auty Bros., of Bury, Lancs., is being employed for tours between Manchester and "Wembley Exhibition, as well as for Scottish tours to Glasgow, Loch Lomond. Oban and Stirling. By reference to the illustration it will be seen that some of the places which figure on the Scottish itinerary are clearly indicated on the Side of the body of the coach.