diculous charges
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-IAVE just got around to reading the issue of COMMERCIAL )TOR of September 23 and must tell you how impressed I was h the letter from "Small Coach Operator," Scotland.
Never have truer words been published, in fact I might have tten the letter myself, the sentiments of which! have been pushing I preaching for several years now. Our Scottish friend is not alone. this area today we are grossing the same—and in some cases ;--for 41-seaters as we did for the 29-seater in 1950.
iVe can all give evidence of some of the ridiculous charges made private hire, for midweek bookings, by the big firms. In fact we ,e some instances of a big group quoting charges of is 7d-ls 9d mile, then employing hired coaches to do the job and paying m 2s 2d per mile.
[hese troubles with private hire prices are to some extent of our own making and the remedy is in the hands of the small operator himself. Some time ago I spent considerable time and some money on a research of the private hire price problem, followed by a circular letter to some 100 small operators—only 5 took the trouble to reply.
If we can return 2s 6d a mile we think we are on a good price, and my efforts, both privately and through the PVOA have been to no avail. In fact it has, I think, done me harm. I am now boycotted, talked about, lied about, and near ruined. Maybe a journal such as COMMERCIAL MOTOR could mount a campaign, and see if we cannot bring some sense back into this business. Or is it the intention of both the big groups and the Government that the small man, with his personal service, shall disappear from coaching. There are many ways that we could fight back, but one man alone can do nothing. I think that the only reason that we stay in the job is to see what can happen next.
C. APPLEYARD, Leeds