PROGRESS IN PASSENGER TRAVEL.
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The Latest Doings and Developments in the Bus and Coach World.
Touring in Scotland.
Popularity of Short Excursions.
DURING the motor coach season last year the majority of the Scottish tourist centres were visited by large numbers of tourists from England who had come north with one or other of the manytours organized by motor char-abanes owners in various English towns. The popularity of these tours occasioned considerable comment among motorists generally, and th,e question was frequently asked why Scottish motor coach owners were not more alive to the possibilities of this kind of traffic.
A representative of The Commercial Motor, in the course of an interview with Mr. Beveridge, of the Scottish Motor Traction Co., Ltd., Edinburgh and Glasgow, one of the largest motor concerns north of the Tweed, inquired whether the company had in contemplation any intended touring programme for the forthcoming season. The answer was illuminating, because it brought out an interesting psychological fact. Scottish people, Mr. Beveridge pointed out, prefer to take their holidays as individuals and not as mcimbers of a community, as do so many Englishmen. Englishmen on the whole like company. Scotsmen, on the other hand, while they have no distinct objections to spending one day in the company of comparative strangers, at once raise objections to being compelled to stay, eat, and travel day after day with the same people. Despite the difficulty of securing adequate hotel accommodation, an attempt had been made, Mr. 'Beveridge said, to organize tours of more than one day's duration, but it was -Found that there was no very definite demand in Scotland for such excursions.
The Scottish Motor Traction Co., our representative was informed, are doing everything possible to encourage the oneday tourist, and this season it is intended to continue the four daily excursions from the company's headquarters in Edinburgh, which proved so popular last year, Circular routes are followed in all eases, and many of the most. historic and romantic towns and villages
of the Scottish Border are visited. The longest tour extends to 100 miles which, allowing for the usual halts, takes nine
hours. A feature of the company's programme this year will be the combined road and river tour, to which reference has already been made in the columns of this journal. Mr. Beveridge expects to be in a position to make a beginning with this novel venture on June 1st, although the boats which the company have acquired for the purpose of this tour may run once or twice before the end of May. With regard to the type of vehicle favoured by the company for touring work the remark was made that no better type of char-i-basics was to be found on the road than the Lothian, which is a product of the company's own workshops. The Lothian chassis, which has a wheelbase of 13 ft. 6 ins., is fitted with a 38 h.p. engine; which has already proved itself equal to every demand made upon it during several years' extensive touring on the worst and best of Scottish roads. The bodywork; which is also entirely put together by the company's employees, compares favourably with
that of other motor coaches. Seating accommodation is provided for 31 passengers and the driver.
During a tour of the .company's workshop our representative gathered that every endeavour was being made to have the whole fleet of chars-a-bancs ready for the ensuing season. Since last year several new vehicles have been introduced, and in the latest models the comfort of the passenger has been studied to an even greater extent than hitherto.
During a trip to the South Coast which was made at Easter by a member of the Editorial staff of this journal, he was pleased to note that, although there was a fairly large number of chars-h-basics on the load, the drivers were considerably more attentive to the rules of the road than appeared to be the .case last summer. He passed many coaches en route, and on no occasion did he remain behind them for any considerable period before the coach drivers drew to the side of the road.
Coaching in North Wales.
Council Grants 43 Licences.
THIS summer nearly 50 per cent. more motor coaches will operate from Llandudno than last year, and in
view of the extensive arrangements which have been, and are being, made for tours in North Wales, there is every reason
for believing that coach traffic in this part of Wales this season will be of record dimensions.
The Llandudnd Council has issued licences for 43 vehicles, which represent an increase of 13 over last year, and the By-laws Committee felt that, with this provision, the probable public requirements for the ensuing season would be met. The committee also recommends that the stands previously appointed be the stands for which motor chars-abanes shall be permitted to ply for hire, and that no further stands be allowed in the public streets. This was confirmed by the Council. In the course of a flying visit along the North Wales coast, a representative of The Commercial Motor learnt that most of the other local authorities on the coast have received applications for additional licences, Llangollen is likely to be an even more popular resort for tourists than last yew, and with Llandudno, will be one of the two main centres.
Last year, the Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Co., Ltd., were unable to carry through their project for a service between Birmingham and Llandudno. It is now learned that the company have notified the Llandudno Council that they hope to commence a service between the two places in the early part of the summer, and that they will apply for licences in due course. The Llandudno• and Motor Garage Co., which, with nine vehicles, have the largest fleet in the town, have for the past week or two been running daily trips. The " Royal Red" coaches are almost a household word in North Wales, and over twenty tofirs have been arranged, the fares ranging between 6s. and 30s. The half-day tours which commence about 2 p.m. are announced
with an informative little note which stimulates the interest of intending
tourists. The day tours, which commence between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m., are similarly interesting.
The fares are the same as those in operation last season, but possibly they will be adyanced with the approach of the summer months.
The company issue to those who desire to know more about the tours small descriptive booklets telling in interesting and choicely selected language all there is to be seen en route. There are six booking offices in Llandudno, three at Colwyn Bay, one at Llandudno Junction, two at Deganwy, and one each at Llanrhos, Conway, Penniaenreawr, Lanfairfechan, Rhos-on-Sea, Llandrillo-yrt-Rhos.
Out to Make Records.
A Northern Coach-owner who is Establishing Depots at Popular Resorts.
MR. C. F. RYMER, principal of C. F. Rymer, Ltd., of Wallasey and Liverpool, wile are the prime movers in a regular Motor coach service between Liverpool and London (the announcement of which was first made in the columns of Tilt Commercial Motor) gave one of our representatives an interview, in which, with an optimism that, was boundless he discussed. the season's prospects and his company's intensions.
If you want the char-ii-bancs industry to flourish," said Mr. Rymer, "you will have to study the needs and the comfort of passengers."
This was the keynote of his remarks, and he proceeded to elaborate his theme in detail.
" Messrs. Pickfords and ourselves," lie continued, " at Whitsuntide will commence a. daily service to London. We really had the first run on Good Friday. Midway between Liverpool and London, say Stratford-on-Avon, will constitute a single day's run, and a Liverpool and a London vehicle will cover each section."
"Do you intend to have intermediate bookings and fares? " " Oh, yes; but details as to fares and times are not yet available. Both ears, I omitted to say, will be identical in size, capacity, and finish, so that passengers, when they resume their journey on the second day will be hardly able to detect they are travelling by a different machine!'
" Is it a fact, as we have heard, that this service is merely a part of a bigger scheme of linked-up coach services?"
" Quite. As a matter of fact, passengers will be able to book at Liverpool or• at any of the via media places to London, to most of the southern popular resorts, and proceed by motor coach on any of the day trips which are organized by Messrs. Frame's to Margate, Brighton, Folkestone, etc."
" And what type of vehicle will be employed? "
For the long-distance trip Tilling
Stevens machines will be used. Ordinarily, and for short trips, these wouldaccommodate thirty passengers, but the seats have been arranged with armrests, and, thus, it is not intended that the coach should carry more than twentyfour passengers. But for the day trips, Daimlers will be used, and although there will be the same seating accommo-_ dation, the armrests will not he used, and so the _poaches will carry thirty passengers."
It should, at this stage, be pointed out that coach passengers from the south will have the same facilities for seeing the north as Northerners have for seeing the south, for Messrs. Rymer intend to run a daily service from Wallasey to Llangollen, Betti,s-v-Coed, and Llandudno. Their daily programme is summarized below, a comparison being made with first-class railway fares :—
New Brighton to Llangollen, via Birkenhead, Little Sutton, Chester, and Wrexham. Distance, 40-odd miles ; 2i hours each way. Comparative fares ;—
Coach. Rail.
Mondays and Single. Return. Single. Return.
Fridays ... 6s. O. lls. 6d. its. 41/gd. 20s. Iliad. Saturdays and
Sundays ... 7s. 6d. lis. Od. (time 2 to 3 his.)
New Brighton to Bettws-y-Coed, via Birkenhead, Chester, Llangollen, and Corwen. Distance, 75 miles; 4 hours each way. Comparative fares ;—
Coach, Rail.
Single. Return. Single. Return, Mondays sod Fridays Ils. lid. 21s. Od. 226 2d. 36s. 75. Saturdays and Sundays ... 12s. 6d. 25e. Od. (about 51/2 hours) (eevetal changes)
New Brighton to Llandudno, via Birkenhead, Queensferry, Mold, Bodfari, St. Asaph, and Colwyn Bay. Distance, 60 miles; .3i hours each way. • Comparative fares :—
Coach. Rail.
Single. Return, Single. Return.
Mondays and
rridaya 9s. (Id. 16s. 65. lidSatlirda.ys and Sundays ... 10e. Cd. 200. gd. 31/2 haws)
(several changes)
The Easter programme included the following tours :—Llangollen via Ruth in, 15s.; Bettws-y-Coed, R.1; Colwyn Bay, 16s.; Chester, full day, 10s., half day, 8s.
The motor coach station idea commends itself very favourably to Mr. Rymer, who believes that in all the popular centres there shOuld be recognized coach stations for the convenience of passengers,
-Of course," he added, " we are making our owli arrangements in some places
—Llangollen, for instance. There we have purchased an estate and a mansion for the entertainment of tourists. The site includes a fine garden, which will be useful for sports, games, etc., all in enclosed ground. Structural alterations and decorations are now being carried out, and electric lighting is being installed in the building, which will be used for the serving of meals. This ` station ' will be ready in about a month's time." " Can you give us any idea of the • number of people that you will be catering for? " Two hundred and fifty at a meal, but we have booked a party of eight hundred for Whit-Monday, and we are undertaking the catering also." "Would it be an impertinence to ask what this centre will have cost you by the time it is completed?" " Fully L12,0130."
" Do you intend to run tours from the Llangollen estate also? "
" Yes, we intend to have two machines at Llangollen, and they will do iourneys within, say, a fifty-mile radius." Mr. Rymer then proceeded to tell es of another estate he has purchased in the Lake ,District, which is intended to be another coaching centre, for tours to and from Scotland, and which will be the stopping-place for all coaches on the Rymer route. , This estate, known as Forest Side,
Grasmere, comprises 48 acres, and includes a fine stately mansion, which is SLOW being converted into a residential hotel. There will be sleeping accommodation for 30 persons, and it will be possible to cater for as many as 100 at one meal. Coach passengers to Scotland will be able to spend the night at this picturesque spot, and-day trippers will be able to have their meals provided here. From Forest Side also there will be a service of motor coaches covering the Lake District.
After hearing of these two centres, we inquired, hall jocularly, where the third would be, and Mr. Rymer stated that they now wanted a centre in Devon and another in Scotland.
Asked as to what arrangements were made on the long-distance tours for luggage carrying, Mr. Rymer mentioned that there were the usual boxes at the rear, and lockers were built between the footboards at the sides.
An innovation is to be made this year
in reference to road information. A system is to be inaugurated whereby every driver, every day he takes a car out,_ will have instructions to make a report of the trip, incidents on the road, and so on. This information will be classified at the office, so as to gauge as accurately as possible the difficulties that have to be contended with and to devise remedies. This information, when carefully compiled, will be very useful for ref erence.
" Mr. Rymer concluded by saying that last year was a record one for his corn
pany, and that theY hoped to gain another blue riband thisyear. '
Per Head• or Per Coach Charges?
QHOULD coach owners, when BubmitL7 ting estimates for parties, quote at a per head or at a per coach charge? There does not seem to he a uniformity of opinion amongst owners on the point, and after examining and analysing certain per coach schedules of fares, we have found that in some instances they work out.at less than the per head charges. This is no doubt due to. the fact that proprietors have been assured of full coach-load fares.
To our mind, a per coach charge seems the better way, for, by quoting per head, the coach owner can only legitimately charge for the' number of passengers for whom seats have actually been booked, and as it very frequently happens that orgardzera have difficulty in precisely computing the number of seats they require, and have often to make refunds to passengers who have bought tickets, which, for some reason or other, are afterwards not used, difficulties sometimes arise.
When quoting for picnic parties, organizers should be asked to state their requirements. It. is the coach owner's, business to provide the necessary transport—so many coaches, to accommodate so many passengers at —that should be the basis of the contract.
It is then no concern of the owner whether the coaches are filled or not, the onus of finding tlfe passengers then rests upon the organizers of the tours.
A.E.CS in Scotland.
T.HE SCOTTISH General Transport Co., Ltd., Main Street, Coatbridge, run a number of A.E.C. chars-a-banes for tour purposes. They also run a number of single-deck buses, which are
• engaged on regular daily services all the year round.
The touring season opens in May for both" long and Aort distance journeys, and during this period routes will be opened from Large to Eairlie, Largs to Gouroek, Largs to Greenock, and Largs to Ardrosaan. A number e/ tours will also be run to various beauty spots in Scotland, such as Stirling, Bridge of Allan, Loch Lomond, Troseachs, Troon, Rouken Glen, etc. The company are operating 10 new single-deck frontentrance buses, whilst four new motor coaches will be put into use during the 1921 season.
From Chester to London for the Football Final. • TRE SILVER C'har-a,-barics, Ltd. of Cathedral Chambers, 5, St. Were burgh Street, Chester, opened their season at Easter with short tours to Llangollen, Rhyl, Southport, whilst at Whit21.11/ they will commence the operation of long runs. They are at the moment arranging to ,take a party for a three days' tour to the football final at Stamford Bridge on April 23rd. Last season tours were runto most of the North Wales resorts, including• Llandudno, Bettws-y-Coed, Carnarvon, Bangor, etc., as well as to Southport, Buxton, Matlock, and Wolverhampton,which proved to be most popular, and similar trips will be re,ehated this season.
ornyeroft X and ;1' type machines, with a seating capacity of 28, are employed. Every employee of the company has seen military service.