TRAFFIC FIGURES OF COACH ROUTES TO THE WEST
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LONG-DISTANCE coach services connecting Liverpool and the Midlands with' coastal towns in the . Western Traffic Area were gone into carefully at the recent meeting of the Western Traffic Commissioners at Weaton-super-Mare. Greyhound Motors, Ltd., of Bristol, applied for licences for services operating between Coventry , and Paignton, Birmingham and Paignton, Liverpool and Paignton, an Liverpool and Ilfracombe.
In reference to the first of these services, it was stated that, during 1930, 13,257 passengers were carried on 876 journeys, the average speed being just over 22 m.p.h. The L.M. and S. Railway Co. • submitted in objection that, whereas the coaches took nine hpurs for this journey, the railways took seven horn* their charge being only 3s. more.
On the Birmingham-Paignton route the road-service company claimed to
have carried 17,203 passengers during 1930. The same railway company again objected, pointing out that the railway covered the route in fl1. hours, as compared with 101 hourS for / the road vehicles. Even on the LiverpoolPaignton route it was stated that 9,348 passengers were carried in 1930,. the number of journeys being 522, which meant-an average of 17.9 passengers per vehicle. '
In the case of the Liverpool-Ilfracombe service, 5,085 passengers were carried on 324 journeys, an average of 15.6 • passengers per' vehicle-journey. These figures are particularly interesting in connection witlf.,■other long-distance . licence applications which are shortly coming up for hearing. Burnell's Motors, Ltd., applied for licences, one being for a service between Weston-super-Mare and Cheddar : it was stated that the company started in the motor-coach' business in 1914, regular stage, carriages having been run since 1929. In opposition, the Vristol Tramways and Carriage Co., Ltd., claimed to be providing an adequate service, but the chairman remarked upon the claim which Burnell's Motors, Ltd., had to the route. .
The same company's application for licences for an hourly ' service from Glastonbury and Woolavington was granted, subject' to the fares being in accordance with those of the Western National Co. An application by. Olympia Motor Services, Ltd., to run vehicles between Southsea and Bristol was opposed by Greyhound Motors, Ltd., as well as -by the Southern Railway Co., the decision, in this instance, being withheld.