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MOTOR COACH DOINGS AND DEVELOPMENTS.

30th November 1920
Page 16
Page 16, 30th November 1920 — MOTOR COACH DOINGS AND DEVELOPMENTS.
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Matters of Topical Interest to Proprietors of Chars-a-bancs.

Motca Coaching in North Wales.

OPINIONS along the North Wales coast with regard to commercial motor services and ohar-a-banes trips are, in the main, dictated by the piejudices or interests of the people interrogated. A representative of Plie Commer.cial Motor, who has inteuiewed many folks along the coast from Prestatyn to beyond the Great Orme, finds opinions as diversified as the weather of the uncertain summer just past. Llanduzliao which a. decade since was the acme of fashion on the coast, is now shorn of its class distinctions, and a local public man deplores the motor coach invasions by miners from the Wrexham area and of cotton operatives from Leigh, Bolton, and the adjacent towns as being likely to bring it " to the level of Rhyl.

Certainly many of the trippers jostle along the promenade with more money than dignity. And the early-century

frequenters of Llandudno go to Bettws-yCoed only to find the sparkling Conway in the .,possession of nearly a thousand daily char-A-banes excursionists, Whose passage over the Waterloo Bridge is now the concern of the Denbigh and Carnarvon County Councils. And yet the Lrandtidno native, while deploring the want of fastidiousness in the new corners, acknowledge that they bring _plenty of funds—for the cafes, the jewellers. and the other commercial interests of the place. The hotel managers are less vocally affirmative.

Colwyn Bay Service.

At Colwyn Bay, which socially as well as geographically is between RhyI and Llandudno, the motor coach is regarded as merely an attraction for the visitors. Most of those who go for their holidays by road from Liverpool, Manchester_ Bradford, Leeds, Stockport, and other towns of like character make Llandudno their destination. A comparative few • leave their coaches at

Colwyn, the others getting their full money's worth by journeying the :31.-lier five or six miles to Llandudno. On the other hand, there is a richer residential population at Colwyn Bay, the commercial magnates of •Lancashire (headed by Lord Colwyn of the Macintosh tyre firm) having houses at the resort, and affording a fair business for the local motor trade in the winter. They, therefore, probably welcome the local eher-h-bancs .service, which daily takes between 600 and 760 visitors to the mountains beyond. And then, too, the local tram service is so inadequately adapted to the summer needs that there is good opportunity for tho many taxicabs and motorcars that are used as hackney carriages more plenteously than in any other resort on the Welsh coast.

The local authorities are well disposed towards the public services, and, although they have not, is yet, any restrictive regulations, they are manifestly more ready to grant licences to local people than to strangers. At Colwyn Bay the proprietor of a local hairdresser's establishment, who has also run taxicabs for a number of years, has been licensed torun a. couple of Daimler coaches. Messrs. Hibbs' Garage have four vehicles, the Boyal Red motor coaches of Llandudno have an 'excellent stand in Colwyn, and Fred Francis and Sons, Ltd., have a fleet of ellars4hancs, some of which have lately been illustrated in these pages. They are building a fine new garage for the accommodation of their coaches Drui the cars of visitors, and have developed the business to a great degree. Mr. L. M. Davies, of the Standard Garage, has& Thornycroft ehar-6.-banes, and during the season has been running special tours.

Comparative Charges.

Although there is no definite arrangement as to the rates charged to passengers, a rough and ready unifornaity has been established. This, however, allows for some variations, and the following table shows • the highest and

loweA-1 .4.f..7-ca charged from Colwyn Bay and the average from Llandudno ;— At Colwyn By we learned that the authorities are watching the effects of these services upon the roads, and that a road census is contemplated, with a view to secure the evidence upon which to base the future policy. But the council is likely to be progressive in that, for it has had to recognize the economy as well as the efficiency of the motors in municipal affairs. This season the cost of a horse and vehicle in Colwyn Bay has averaged 31s. per day as against 21s. in such places as Chester, and the local council has decided to use motors wherever possible. Its first motor vehicle was a Mercedes brougham, the body of which was taken off and a. wagon body put on to serve for refuse tipping. It is still doing useful work with a couple of Daimler companions. The Gas Department has a Napier lorry on order, and the town is also awaiting the advent of a Dennis motor fire-engine.

All the small places on the coast are interested in the development. Even at A_bergele, where the population is only 2,600, there are 25 motor vehicles licensed for public hire.

There are opportunities for restricted. services even in the winter, for there is a world of local gentry to assist with their social functions.


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