Special Plans for Coronation Tours S PECIAL plans have been made
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by the Metropolitan and City of London Police for the operation of sightseeing tours by contract carriages in London during May. During Coronation Week (May 10-15), coaches will be banned from the area bounded by and including Oxford Street, Charing Cross Road, Whitehall, Victoria Street, Grosvenor Place and Park Lane.
During the rest of the month, however, facilities will be available for sightseeing tours, subject to the traffic conditions prevailing at the time. Three different schemes of operation have been devised for use on certain dates.
Scheme No. 1 refers to Coronation Week and May 19 and 24. In order, however, that persons brought by coach may he able to reach the decorated and illuminated streets, special setting-down and parking places have been arranged at convenient points around the banned zone. All these stands are conveniently situated as regards public transport facilities.
Scheme No. 2 will be in operation on May 1, 3-8 inclusive, 18, 20-22 inclusive, 25-29 inclusive, and 31. The sight-seeing route for these occasions is along Oxford Street, New Oxford Street, Holborn, Farringdon Street, the Embankment, Whitehall, Chelsea Bridge Road, King's Road, Hobart Place, Buckingham Palace Road, Constitution Hill and Park Lane. After 7 p.m. (2 p.m. on Saturdays) coaches may extend their tours into the city.
B44 No facilities will be provided for vehicles to stop en route to pick up or set down passengers, although, when possible, parties wishing to visit Westminster Abbey or the Houses of Parliament will be allowed to be set down in Ohl Palace Yard, or its vicinity. Operators are specially requested to arrange their tours so as to avoid being on the route between noon and 1.30 p.m. and between 4.30 p.m. and 6.30 p.m.
Under Scheme No. 3, which will be in operation on May 2, 9, 16, 17, 23 and 30, the following route will be available :—
Orlord &sea, Regent Street., Haymarket, Strand, Kingsway, Holborn, Newgate Street, Cbeapside, King William Street, Ea Ateheap, Tower Hill, Tower Bridge, Tooley Street, London Bridge, Cannon Street, Queen Victoria Street, the Embankment and Whitehall, Bessborough Street, Belgrave Road, Eceleston Street, Hobart, Place, Buckingham Palace Road, Constitution Hill and Park Lane.
The arrangements are fully described and the routes are mapped out in a folder entitled ." Motor Coaches Conveying Private Parties to London during May, 1937," which has been prepared by the police. It is being issued from New Scotland Yard to organizers of parties and other persons concerned.
Operation of licensed services to specified parking places in or near the central area will be permitted from May 3-8, 10-15 and on May 19. All passengers will have to be set down and picked up at the stated points. The fare will be 50. per cent. higher than the normal fare charged by London Transport, with a minimum of 2s. 6d.
Operators who have applied will be authorized under road service licences to run sight-seeing tours of the decorated streets on May 9, 16, 17 and 23. On two days between May 18 and 22 (but excluding May 19) an afternoon tour between 1.30 p.m. and 4.30p.m. and an evening tour after 6.30 p.m. will also be permitted.
On May 9, 16, 17 and 23 the full quota of authorized Vehicles may be used on these services at any one time, but on May 16 and 17 the streets will be cleared of all traffic after 8 p.m. In the case of these sight-seeing tours, 50-per-cent. protection will be afforded to London Transport, with a minimum fare of Ss. return. Authorized vehicles will be identified by means of discs.
Operators already authorized to provide regular sight-seeing tours in the central area will be permitted to operate amended tours only during the period from May 3-23. They should now apply for such tours in their amended form.
Provincial operators who have applied to operate sight-seeing tours will be allocated a maximum number of vehicles which may be run at any one time on the specified route during various periods from May 3-23.
The C.M.U.A. has taken a leading part in framing these arrangements.