• PASSENGER TRAVEL NEWS.
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The Latest Doings and Developments in the Bus and Coach World.
THE LEEDS-BRADFORD-LONDON SERVICE.
A Pioneer Venture which has Proved a Success. An All-the-yearround Service which has been Operated for 21 Years.
1/1R. WINDER, of the South York..1n.shire Motor Co., Thorpe Audley, near Pontefract, is buying new rolling stock for his daily Leeds-to-London service, via Bradford. It may be remembered that this was the second long-distance coach service to be established in this country. The service has now been running for 21 years and it is therefore interesting to have Mr. Winder's views on the subject of this undertaking.
He tells us that the service has been a continuous success ever since it was definitely seen to have survived a somewhat slow start. A daily service of buses is now run all the year round in both directions and, in the summer, some half-a-dozen coaches, with various seating capacities from 20 to 32, are necessary to meet the demands which are made upon it. In the winter, of course, there is less traffic and, as a general rule, one coach is sufficient, but this nearly always carries its full complement of passengers. Otherwise, Mr. Winder notes no falling off in custom and has just purchased a new Renault R.I. coach with fabric body to carry 20 passengers. This coach has been especially designed for winter use, it being artificially heated by air which circulates past the exhaust pipe.
The seats are in pairs, well-sprung and upholstered, with spring armrests, each pair having a folding table, a mirror and a bell-push to call the attention of the conductor when required. The interior lighting is well arranged and the windows, of course, can be opened or dosed to vary the ventilation as needed. The main entrance to the coach is at the front, and there is an emergency door near the rear end.
As regards the organization of the service, all seats are booked and allotted beforehand and the vehicles operate as private-hire coaches, there being no need to take out a public-carriage licence. No special provision is Made
to carry passengers from outlying districts to the station from which the coach actually starts, but where the intending passenger lives on a route served by the company he may travel in by the local service without paying any extra fare.
The journey occupies nine hours. A bus starts from Leeds for London at 9 a.m. and another from London for Leeds at the same time, and both terminate their journeys at between 6 p.m. and 6.30 p.m. the same evening. Stops are made en route for meals at Stamford and Doncaster. The single fare is 16s. and the return 27s., the former working out at approximately id. per passenger per mile.