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PASSENGER TRAVEL NEWS.

12th June 1923, Page 22
12th June 1923
Page 22
Page 23
Page 22, 12th June 1923 — PASSENGER TRAVEL NEWS.
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The Latest Doings. and Developments in the Bus and Coach World.

DAY TOURS OF 212 MILES.

Peculiarities of the Rhyl Coaching Trade. Pneumatic Tyres for Rig Coaches. Popularity of 14-20-seaters. The Question of "Touting."

WITHIN a very short time the North Wales district will be bustling with motor coach enterprise, and owners have already givers the season an auspicious start.

Conditions at the various resortsRhyl, Colwyn Bay, Llandudno, and Bangor--differ considerably, and at no two places is the nature of the bhsiness transacted identical. Coach owners in each of these territories, however, have had one common experience in the past, and that is in the matter of rates, and; although there has not been the same irresponsible competition as has prevailed at some places, one had not to travel far to discover the very obvious need of more co-operation amongst 11:11Vriers'.

The partiality for the small 1420seater coach is by no means unanimous —ideally, it is regarded as the vehicle— and, whilst there is not the slightest doubt that it is. slowly ingratiating itself into favour in some quarters, the exigencies of the rush holiday traffic frequently demand the employment of the largest available coaches. The coaches in service at Rhyl, therefore, are nicely proportioned, there being about one small vehicle to two of larger. capacity.

One of the two principal local companies.is the Rhyl and Potteries Primrose Motors, Ltd.—a company who at one time had their headquarters in the Pottery district, but subsequently migrated to Rhyl. Their present fleet consists of four Crossley touring cars, ; Fiat and Bagulay Iandaulets, three Crossley 14-seater coaches, one Daimler 14-seater, one A.E.C. 28-seater, three Daimler 28-seaters, one Daimler 33seater, and one Karrier 33-seater.

-Although there is not much prospect of the company • vectoring upon the employment of new coaches this year, our representative, in an interview with the company, was informed that the smaller coaches were undoubtedly becoming more popular, and that "if new coaches were put into service they would not be 28-seaters." All the smaller vehicles are equipped with pneumatic tyres Nearly all the business at Rhyl is in single-seat bookings, and the popular tours, which number close on 30, cover distances graduating between 15 miles or so and 150 miles per journey. On the shorter trips large coaches are almost invariably employed, and the fares being low there is not, as a rule, much difficulty in procuring a full load. Exceptions, however, do occur, and sometimes when business is poor and a full load is not obtainable, the passengers are transferred either to a 14-20-seater coach or to a touring car.

Coach owners in industrial towns feel very strongly that they are justly entitled to claim a higher rate for the tours on the 20-seater on pneumatic tyres than for the vehicle it tends to supersede. The Rhyl owners sympathize with these aspirations, and wish that they were in a position to enforce the differential rate..

Last year the charges to the public were altered two or three times, and on each occasion the possibility of being able to make the public pay their just dues for the additional comforts provided became more remote. As a result of lack of organization amongst local coach owners, there is no co-operation of effort, but, notwithstanding this, the service to the public is extremely good. The Rhyl and Potteries Motors, Ltd., last season found that the very short tours were increasingly popular, due, one supposes, to the fact that they were more within the reach of the public pocket. The coaching trade at Rhyl is largely what one might loosely term a " catch" trade. There is no stand problem such as there is at Blackpool. The coaches line up on the promenade daily, and each vehicle takes its chance with the next, _a circumstance which makes it necessary for the coach owner to submit. an attractive list of tours and to turn out his vehicles in spick-and-span condition.

For a long time the local council have be-en considering whether it is not possible to prohibit what they call "tout. big." At the March meeting of the council a letter was read from the Evangelical Free Church Council, urging the Corporation to stop the annoyanee caused to visitors on Sundays during the season by drivers and conductors of public hire vehicles soliciting

patronage. In reply to questions, the town clerk said that it all depended -upon what Was meant by "annoyance," and unless people were prepared to come to court. and say they had been annoyed it was useless taking proceedings. It could not be said to be an annoyance if coach drivers simply asked people if they would go for a drive. It then transpired that the coach owners were the largest ratepayers in the town, and seemingly the decision of the town clerk will hold good.

But what a contrast with other towns --Southport, for instance—where socalled touting is rigorously suppressed! The views of the Rhyl coach owners are that, objectionable as "touting" may seem a short season of four months, combined with the low fares, makes it necessary during the season for them to get as much trade as they can, and, whilst the public is courteously approached, they fail to perceive that they are hurting the susceptibilities of even the most sensitive. • Every party booking with the Rhyl and Potteries Co. for day or half-day tours is photographed before leaving Rhyl by a staff camera man, and a proof is ready for the inspection, of tourists by the time they return home in the evening. • Orders are then taken from passengers for as many prints as they desire, and are ready within two or three days. Many thousands of photos were supplied to passengers in this man ner last season. Similar arrangements' will be made again this year.

Another important coaching company at Rhyl 'is Messrs. Brookes Bros—who operate a fleet of 19 vehicles, as follows : Twelve 28-seater Leylands, one 38ca-ter Leyland, two 22-seater Leylands, three 18-seater Lancias, and one 14. sestet: Lancia. All the coaches with less than a seating capacity of 28 persons are shod with pneumatic tyres.

Although Messrs. Brookes do not intend to put any new coaches on the road this season, they intend to experiment with pneumatic tyres on 28-seaters, and at the outset two coaches will be equipped with Michelins and one with Dunlops.

Hitherto the smaller coaches' have been exclusively employed on the longest journeys, but Messrs. Brookes feel that . possibly the alternative type of vehicle' may, when equipped with pneumatic Lyres, show up to even greater advantage than the 20-seater. At the same time, they have in mind the possibility of legislative restrictions in relation to big-capacityanaohines on solid tyres, and the probability of being able to effect economies in wear and tear expenses.

Messrs. Brookes have a programme of 25 regular summer tours, as follows :Morning and evening tours, 10 Miles and 21 miles respectively; morning, afternoon, and evening tours, 18 miles ;morning and afternoon tours, 25 miles, 30 miles, 44 miles, 75 miles, and 90 miles respectively; afternoon tours, 30 miles, 62 miles, 76 miles, and 90 miles respectively • and separate day tours of 88 miles, 100 miles, 115 miles, 120 miles, 140 miles, 150 miles, 175 miles, 180 miles, 190 miles, and 212 miles. In each case the time of arrival is specified.

The longest tour—to Bala and Aberystwyth—is 212 miles, a start being made at 8.30 a.m, and the journey completed at 9 p.m. On all outings time is allowtd for lunch on tour and to view all'plares of interest..

Last season the coaching rates is-eao about 14d. per passenger-mile, and the charges for some of the day trips were down to the pre-war figure of 115 miles for 10s. 6d. The morning and evening short journeys to Dyserth Waterfalls, ten miles away, were las per passenger,

whilst a representative tour for the afternoon was to Bettws-y-Coed, 75 miles, for 7s. 6d.

Messrs.' Brookes's omnibus services are being developed, and four new saloon vehicles will be added to their fleet., which, at the time of writing, consists of three ,15-seater double-deck Leylands and two 32-seater single-deck Leylands. When the new buses are delivered new services will be inaugurated, including one to Prestatyn and Holywell. It is intended to createa cont

prehensive network of motorbus routes in the North Wales District. Already some of Messrs. Brookes's services link up with the buses run by the Crosvillo Co., which are administered from Ches. ter.

In mid-sOason the dottble-decker buses of Messrs. Brookes's maintain an excellent town service. The company run a photographic department, and photograph every party which books seats for half-day and day trips on the White Rose coaches.

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Locations: Southport

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