PROGRESS IN PASSENGER TRAVEL.
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The Latest Doings The Land of -Day Coach Tours.
and Developments in the Bus and Coach 'World.
A Review of Motor Coach Conditions in the Isle of Man: Some Unique Aspects.
IN many respects, the motor coach industry of the Isle of Man is unique and, after a careful and studied investigation of conditions inthe "
Island," one has no hesitation in saying that, but for the restrictions imposed by the Douglas Corporation and the arbitrary manner in which vehicles are licensed,instead of the long stretch of promenade lined with scores of oldfashioned horse conveyances, it would lie alive with motor interest.
"How is it? " we asked of several individual proprietors, "'that the horse passenger vehicles outnumber the motor coaches 'by about seven or eight to one? " and all answered in the same
strain. It was due to the fact that licensing authorities will not allow the existing motor coach owners to develop their fleets lest the existing horse vehicle proprietors are crushed out of business, but if the horse owners apply for a char-itabancs licence to enable them to run a motor vehicle in place of horsedrawn carriages it is generally granted.
"Of course, in a way, that is not unfair, and what happens," we queried. when the owner of, say, three coaches, applies for a licence for a fourth vehicle? "
"Oh, he's turned down."
From this it will be gathered. that once the conservatisin of the horse owner
has been overcome, the Isle of Man is territory that offers good scope for the venturesome horse • proprietor. As a matter of fact, some of them this season have made the plunge and, consequently, the tendency Mr a considerable increase in the number of the small owners is likely to continue. Many of the roads of theisland are ilLadapted for coach traffic and recently it was ascertained, considerable attention has been given to the dimensions of vehicles. This is a circumstance that should be borne in mind by manufacturers of chassis on this side of the Channel. Many of the roads are dangerously narrow and the frequency with which defiant turnings and bridges are encountered must, from the point of view of the passenger, provide that flash exhilaration that is so enjoyed • by the young holiday-makers. There seems wisdom, therefore, in the enforcement of the 12 mile speedlimit, and although it is very unpalatable for. summonses to he issued against drivers for exceeding the "limit " on What may be termed safe roads, due regard must be paid to public safety.
One of the beauties of motor coaching in the Isle of Man is the abundance of unexpected " sights." Often is it the case that -a steady incline brings us to a summit from which may be seen a magnificent landscape, delved with glens, relieved with angry-looking and aweinspiring craigs, with the sea shimmerMg in the distance.
At times one had to be reminded, when
talking• with coach owners, that all the coaching roads inthe Isle of Man could be traversed in a day, and that if a passenger had booked a day tour, he would be taken north, south, east and west and be shown all that there was to be seen in the course of the 70 mile run, which would cost him 12s. 16d. In Douglas, there are about 40 coaches, and it is quite an animated scene when, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 10.30 a.m., one strolls along the promenade and watches the various coaches at their stands or in front of the coach booking offices loading up. Although proprietors told us that morning, afternoon and evening tours were organized, in addition to the full day runs, practically all the coaches were employed on the day runs. Our surnicse was that, when the requisite number of passengers could not be obtained for the long trip, the owners organized the shorter runs occupying about two and a half hours.
During the full day trip, about four or five stops are made, and the following is a specimen itinerary t—Leave Douglas at 10 a.m., visiting Laxey, Ramsey, Sulby, 13allaugh, Kirkmiehael, Peel (where a halt is made for lunch); leave Peel at 2.30 p.m., proceeding to St. John's, over Foxdale Mountain into the quaint port of Castletown, then by coast to Port Erin; leave Port Erin at 4.30 p.m. for Rushen Abbey, returning to Douglas by but 6 p.m. As there are no alternative roads, coaches perforce all travel by the same route, and, consequently, when the vehicles stop en route to enable passengers to see some beauty spot-'-and all of them do this—some really wonderful coaching scenes are to be witnessed, such as at Ramsey, Peel, Rushen Abbey,
etc. The horse passenger vehicles in some instances use the same road, and, for variety, numbers and cornpactiness, there are few scenes on this -side to equal them.
We spent one interesting afternoon at Rushen Abbey :and viewed the arrival of the vehicles, which commenced at about 4 p.m. Motor coaches on the left and horse vehicles on the right were parked in the tarrowest compass. In 20 minutes the whole of the space in front of the Abbey was fully occupied and vehicles began to line up along the pretty road overshadowed with trees and full of summer blooms, leading from Ballasalla. The vehicles were soon deserted; the passengers went through the Abbey grounds, would have an ice, etc., and, in 20 minutes Or so, move off again. It is a wonderful scene.
"What is the attitude of the hotel keepers to motor coach traffic? " we inquired.
In no single instance were we able to glean any information as to inhospitable conduct. As a matter of fact, some hotel proprietors offer inducements to the drivers to bring passengers to their premises. The manager of one Douglas motor coach company told us of one establishment which was visited by nearly all the coaches in the island every day, where the coach drivers were given a check for 6d. for every 10 passengers brought to that particular venue. These checks can either be saved up with a view to cumulative purchase or can be cashed for goods on the spot. Other hotel proprietors provide the drivers with meals free, whilst there are others which give the drivers a gratuity at the season's end.
All the well-known makes of chassis are to be seen in Manxland, but some of the bodywork, all of which is quite of the conventional type, is done in the Island. The capacity of the vehicles varies from 14 to 28 seaters, but the 28 seater has been barred, and, in our interview, it was made clear to us that the licensing e22 authorities would not licence any new vehicles holding more than 20 persons.
We had the pleasure of an interview with Mr. Cunningham, son of the proprietor of the Cunningham Holiday Camp, where, during the summer months, as many as 2,000 young men are accommodated. This is a model establishment, and, believing Mr. Cunningham to be interested in the travelling facilities from Douglas, we asked him to tell The Commercial Motor -.what he
thought of the road services of the Island..
Although he spoke with an obvious reserve, there was no mistaking his disappointment. It appears that the Cunningham Holiday Camp had previously endeavoured to obtain licences with a view to running motor coaches of their own for the benefit of the campers.
"With the number of men we have here we could run a fleet," said Mr. Cunningham, "but the Douglas authorities said e No.' " " Why: you ask. ' Their point of view seems to be that it is not our business, and that Douglas people should live and let live. Consequently, all the motor coaching from Douglas is in the hands of the motor people.
" It is a long way," he added, "from here to the Pier, and we intended to meet the holiday-makers coming to Douglas and to carry them and their luggage to the camp, and when the period of the -holiday was over to tase them down to the steamer again. It was intended to be distinctly a service for our visjtors. I understand some of the hotel Alters have been turned down."
"So you have no motors then? " "Only two Ford vans, which we use for bringing produce from our farm to the Camp," he replied.
In other articles we shall give the experiences of Douglas motor coach users and proprietors and deal with the exacting motor coach regulations of the Corporation.
Ripon Corporation has instructed the town clerk to arrange a conference with motor char-Aebancs prciprietors in the city to consider the advisability of .open.. Mg out a motor service around the district.
In view of the present congestion by chars-a-bancs at some centres, the Deptford Borough Council has asked the Ministry of Transport to fix the stopping -places of these vehicles.
The Blackpool Corporation intend appointing a manager to take charge of the char-a-bancs station at the corner of Rigby Road and Central Drive, including tha refreshment bar, cloakroom, and lavatories. The garage was timed to be ready on Bank Holiday. It is intended to charge vehicles up to a maximum of 2s. 6d. a day per char-ae banes or other vehicle.
Labour Leaders Travel by Motor Coach.
Accou-DING to Mr. George Mulligan, assistant general secretary of the National Union of Dock and Riverside Workers, it would pay the Parliamentary Congress and Labour Party to organize a special motor coach service for the hundreds of secretaries and delegates who have continually to travel between the provinces and London. •
The miners (states this well-known Liverpool official) spend many thousands of pounds yearly on these journeys which are t" joy-rides, but made for the purpese of ending or preventing a trade dispute which would have thrown or had already thrown, thousands of men -out of work.
Very often a trades congress or an annual meeting had been spoilt by the irritability of deleeates who had been travelling hundred; of miles in stuffy railway carriages and this certainly explains, he says, why the congresses only settle down to their work about the third day.
"I look forward," he said, " to a great future for this method of travel, because I believe it will save money, health, and temper."
Example is better than precept; on the occasion • of the annual congess of the dock labourers' union, a few days ago, the Liverpool delegates journeyed to Aberdeen by motor coach,
Coach Services from Newcastle.
MANY north country seaside and . country resorts are brought into close touch with Newcastle and district residents by means of the northern motor coach pleasure trips, commenced a short time age by the Northern General Trans. port Co., Ltd-, of Chester-le-Street. The popularity of this summer programme may be gauged be the fact that vehicles daily leave the Haymarket or Berwick Street rendezvous for one or other of the places mentioned hereunder. The following list of places visited, for whole or half-day tours, and the modest charges, show how wide is the appeal made :—Stanhope, via Durham and Wolsingham, 9s. ; South Shields and coast to Roker, 55.; 'Whitley Bay, via coast to Seaton Sluice, 4s. 6d.; Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, via Morpeth, 6s.; High Force, via. Barnard Castle and Middleton-in-TeeSdalo, 12s. ; Darlington, 8s.-; Otterburia 8s.&L; Wooler, via Morpeth. us.; Alnwick and Alnninuth, 8s. 6d.: flexham, via Prndhoe, and turn by Heddon, 5s, *ficl. ;. Warkworth, via
Morpeth and Acklington; ; Shotley Bridge. via Allensford, '7s. 6d. ; Blanch land, via. Shotley Bridge, 7s, ; sod Barnard Castle, via Durham and Bishop Anckla.nd, 10s. Special coaches were also scheduled for the Catterick race meeting at a fare of 11s, per head.
A Time Table BlackbOard.
The Motor lours Publishing Co., 30, Baldwin Street, Bristol, are introducing a neat miniature blackboard consisting of a frame and six sliding panels, which can he placed in the windows of motor coach booking offices. Each of the panels is specially prepared and can he written upon With ordinary white or coloured chalk, which can be cleaned off in the -usual way with a slightly•clamped sponge. The panels are eonstructed to slide in and out of grooves, so that
alterations in the words can be effected by removing individual panels, whilst , leaving the frame itself in position.
Each of the six panels measnres bi• ins. by 9 ins. The melt size of the frame is approximately 19 ins, by 27 ins. The words at the top of the frame, "Book heie for," are in gold-blocked lettering, with a small neutral-tinted body motor coach in the centre. The price of this useful little device is 10s, bd., a reduction being made for quantities,
The Speed of Chars-a-bancs.
The methods of timing heavy motor traffic were strongly criticised this week at the Souehport Police Court by Mr. Battersby, a solicitor defending a number of drivers of chaes-i-barics and heavy motors, who were charged with exceed
ing the 12 mile per hour limit. There were 29 cases in all.
Mr. Battershy first of all complained of the length of time which had elapsed between the dates of the alleged offences, and the date on which the defendants were first aware that they were to be proceeded against. He emphatically protested against the method of testing the speed, and said that the prosecution depended entirely upon the credibilityof the police officers, neither of whom ewe
roborated the -tither In/ Pfiiiit, namely, when the watch was started. It was a.most un-English and unfair method of giving evidence if prosecutions were to be conSidered as founded when only based on the word of one officer.
The Chief Constable protested against Mr. Battershy's remarks, and Sir Albert Stephenson said the thanks of the public were due to the Chief Coristable for bringing the cases before him.
Smethwick's Conditions.
'With reference to the licensing of chars-it-banes, Smethwick Watch Committee proposes in future to require observance of the subjoined conditions:— A driver's mirror must be carried.
Vehicles must travel down hill in gear. Passengers are not to sit on the hood or sides of vehicles.
Where mere than 15 passengers are carried, the vehicle must be accompanied by a licensed conductor. Lorries licensed to carry passengers must be fitted with seats properly fixed. •
Newcastle people have availed themselves of the recently, inaugurated passenger services operated by the Newcastle Tramways and Electricity Committee during the delightful weather experienced of late, Large numbers have visited Ponteland, a charming country village, far from the rush of the busy city, and equally large crowds have taken advantage of the service which plies between West Moor and the coast at Seaton Sluice, the route winding through peaceful country scenes, making a pleasing contrast to the aensely populated city streets.