CO-OPERATION IN COACHING ORGANIZATION.
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Some Details of the Past, Present and Future Activities of a Wellknown Manchester Motor-coaching Concern.
T"motor-coaehing organization of Messrs. Curtis, of Whitworth Street West and St. Peter's Square, Manchester, provides facilities for the clearance of an average of 1,000 people per week during the holiday season, and on occasions as many as 80 or 40 coaches have been in commission daily. Messrs. Curtis have in service a fleet of 19 machines, all of small-to-moderate seating capacity, comprising, 12 Laffiy 20seaters, two Renault 20-seaters, three Buick 10-seaters, two Talbot 14-seaters. Five new telly 20-seater saloon coaches are on order and will be delivered y the spring of 1928. The 'Jelly coaches are
all-weather vehicles. Associated with the organization is a large number of small owners whose services are frequently commissioned when the extent
of the available traffic is beyond the capacity of Messrs. Curtis's own fleet: The hiring agreements enable the company to requisition, according to circumstances, up to a maximum of 64 coaches with a total seating accommodation for 700 passengers. In an interview with a representative of The Commercial Motor, Mr. Curtis claimed that this wad the largest motorcoaching organization of its kind in Manchester. As many as 300 passengers have been booked up and cleared in an afternoon, and even last season transport had been arranged for 160 people at less than two hours' notice.
"What is the baths upon which we make agreements with the owners from whom we hire?" repeated Mt. Curtis, after it query by our representative.
"At the outset of the season a meeting is held of owners with whom we seek to work. Rates are discUssed and a schedule is drawn up for day and half-day tours. It is generally found, however, that after the season has started, rate-cutting becomes a nuisance, but the effect of this soon becomesobvious to passengers. For instance, some owners may seek to run a tour in competition with one already advertised and, in order to secure a load, offer the inducement of a lower . price. It .sometimes happens that when the time for .departare conies they have not the minimum number of passengers required. to undertake the journey, and they have to settle at once whether they
will make an unprofitable trip or hand their passengers over to another company running to the same destination.
"Frequently," continued Mr. Curtis, "passengers have been brought to St. Peter's Square Tor transference to our vehicles, and not only has the coach owner Concerned had to pay us the fares already received from passengers, but also the difference between the rate he advertised and our minimum rate.
"The value of a central coach station has been demonstrated times without number," added Mr. Curtis, whose firm have sought to encourage the public to accept St. Peter's Square as the general centre for the commencement of motor touts. By guaranteeing the running of all tours advertised the company command confidence, and the public knows that when bookings are made with them the journey will ho made. All the owners with whom Messrs. Curtis have hiring agreements work to their schedule of rates. They may book passengers, or tickets may be issued through the company's office.
"If the passengers pass through our organization," Mr. Curtis explained, 'and they are conveyed in coaches belonging to an outside firm, we pay the owner a commission on the fares received. Our colleen, naturally, is to employ the best types of vehicle procurable, and before entering into any arrangement we always make sure that every vehicle is adequately covered by insurance."
Mr. Curtis went on to tell us that be has been in the transport business since 1908, and added that he feels convinced it is a big mistake to run a ooachin enterprise from a series of small booksbig offices. He believes that "the centralization of traffic should be aimed at, so as to cause the convergence of traffic at one spot. This enables coaches to he loaded up promptly and to start their jdurneys in good time. Another thing we have found is that people prefer to go into town to join the coach rather than to board it in an outside district. In the latter case delays are unavoidable, and these are apt to be irritating. Travel facilities from the suburbs are very convenient, and it is a simple mafr ter for passengers to travel on a tramcar to St. Peter'S Square and join the coach
at the very commencement of its journey."
Mr. Curtis told us that the central hooking office is important in the stabili zation of rates. Owing to its being generously patronized, its owner's quotations can be definitely regarded as forming a basis for sound working. People associate the rate quoted with good service, and are apt to ask whether the lower fares quoted by outside booking offices do offer as good value as the town establishment. .
Pursuing this point, our informant added that "quite recently we filled a coach with passengers collected by four different owners, each of whom had to pay us an extra 6d. to 1.s. per passenger. They knew that our coaches would run in any case, and that to transfer their
Passengers to us was a cheaper alternative than conveying them themselves."
During the period of the Lancashire Wakes traffic within an area of eight miles of Manchester is effectively "combed out." The arrangements are advertised well in advance and each morning coaches collect passengers and convey them to St. Peter's Square depot in time to enable them to join coaches which leave from 8.80 onwards to the various destinations. " During July," added Mr. Curtis, " our hirings were very heavy, and on some days the demand for coaches quite exceeded the supply,"
Talking about the types of coach that make the greatest appeal to the travelling public, Mr. Curtis mentioned that the all-weather saloon coach was not a first favourite with all travellers, for many people going on a long trip, say to the South of England, preferred travelling in an open coach.
The organization of long-distance tours occupying about six days has always been a speciality of Messrs. Curtis, and they advertise "first-class only."
"We feel," said Mr.. Curtis, "that there are in the motor coach business today many people who entertain the idea of running tours, but who know very little of‘the detailed arrangement§ that It involves. People have come to us and complained after a coaching holiday that hotel accommodation and food wore net so good as they might have beau. This might seem an old ground for complaint in this highly competitive business when prices are cut almost to the minimum.
"I always advise patrons, when they hesitate on the point of booking, to see the machines in which they contemplate travelling. We endeavour to make our long-distance coaches our best advertisement. For long-date bookings the past season, notwithstanding the bad weather, has been fairly successful. Fares were slightly cheaper than they were in the previous year, but there is little hope of further reductions being made whilst hotel and other charges remain at their present level."
Although passengers, when they book with Messrs. Curtis' are supplied with a rough. itinerary of the tour, this is not strictly adhered to in all cases. On the Scottish tour, for instance, if the weather be fine, when in the Loch Lomond district, the party stays there
two nights. If, on the other hand, weather conditions be unpropitious, the journey is continued to Stirling, where a halt is made. Each of the six-day tours, one to the South of England, two to the West of England and three to Scotland, covers a period from Sunday to Friday, and a uniform fare of 81 guineas is charged.
Twenty-seater coaches are employed for extended touring, and the hack row of seats is generally reserved for the storage of luggage. It is often necessary to send one or two private cars to provide the necessary accommodation for those people who would make more than a comfortable load for a coach. A strong point is .made of the fact that a motor coaching holiday spent in this way actually costs less than the comparative journey by train if similar hotels to those' provided for in Messrs. Curtis's programme be used. In the company's quotation of fares, it is made quite clear that lunch is not included, and that the 8i guineas covers travel, dinner, bed and breakfast. Difficulties are being repeatedly experienced in securing suitable accommodation at hotels, and this was particularly noticeable during the month of August.. On November 8th, Messrs. Curtis inaugurated a service of express saloon coaches between Manchester and Leigh (eight return journeys per day), fares being:-Single, is.; return, is. ed.; weekly contract, Although these three long-distance tours are advertised as a continuous weekly fixture, as a rule two out of the three are undertaken every week. During Epsom, Ascot and Goodwood races the opportunity is taken to organize similar extended tours..
Amongst the regular daily services undertaken by Messrs. Curtis is the run to Blackpool, whilst on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays there are journeys to Chester, Rhyl, Abergele, Colsvyn, Bay, Rhos-on-Sea and Llandudno, passengers being booked either for the single journey or the return trip. This year, commencing May 1st, a feature was made of extended bookings, by means of which passengers could travel, to, say, Llandudno on one Saturday and return a week later. The fare for the longdate return booking to Llandudno was Private-party work, chiefly works picnics, has suffered very much this year, and parties that in previous years booked coaches for a whole day, this season satisfied themselves with half-day trips
" Talking about motor coaching conditions in Manchester," said Mr. Curtis, "the facilities provided by the Manchester owners may be divided into two classifications, first-class and third-class, according to the type of vehicle in commission, but I believe that the tendency is more and more in the direction of the employment of good-class coaches. These will necessarily involve the fixing of higher fares."
Mr. Curtis told us that it is his firm's intention to put a new fleet of vehicles on the road next year, in order to maintain a daily service to . North Wales, and they have in mind, opening up a service to London, outward journeys being made on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays from Wlaitenntide.
" Our idea," he went on, "is to employ a fleet of all-weather saloons and at the main centres en route to make the principal hotels places of call. Probably we shall require a dozen new vehicles, but the types have not yet been
selected. They will be provided with bucket seats of good width and will probably be equipped with a table. The travelling public of to-day is very appreciative of any little aids which make for added comfort.
The firm's 1927 list of fares for 10, 14 and 20-seater saloon coaches
was as follows les. 6d.; Asbbourne, 10s. ; Alderley, 3s.; Buxton (direct), 55.; Buxton (circular), 43s.; BakeWell (direct), 7s.; Blackpool, 7s.; Basiow, Ss. 6d.; Chelford, 4s.; Congleton, 5s.; Chapel-en-le-Frith, 42.; Chester, Os. 6d. ; Castleton (direct), 7s. 6d.; Castleton (via Snake), 9s. 43d.; Chatsworth (direct), Ss. 43d.; Clitheroe (circu Tar), ; Colwyn Bay, 15n; Dunham Massey, 3s. ; Doncaster 10e. 6d.; Derby, 12s.; Dukeries, 15s.; Eyam, 9s. 6d.; Frodsham, 6s, 6d.; Fleatley Warburton, 3s.; Haydock, 4e.; Eardcastle Osage, 6s. 6d.; Higher fodder, Sc.; Haddon Hall, Sc. 6d.; Hawarden, 9s. 6d. ; Holywell, 10s. 6d.; Harrogate., 13s. ed.; Hoy* lake, 11s. 6d. ,• Ilkley,12s. ; Kerridge, 5s. ; Kirkby Lonsdale, 14s. 6d. ,• Lytham, Sc.; Lymm, 4s.; Llangollen, 11s. 6d.; Liverpool, 7s.; Llandudno, 16.s.; Mobberley (via Knutsford), 4s.; Millers Dale, 7s.) Moreton Old Hall, 7s. 6d.; Matlock (direct), 10s.; Matlock (circular), Ils. 6d.; Moreeambe, 10s.; New Brighton, 8s.; Picktnere, 5s. ; Rhyl, 13s.: Rostlserene Mere, 4s. ; Ribchester (direct), 7s. ed.; Reedsmere, 5s.s Bud.yard (direct), Os. ; Rudyard (circular); Os.; Southport, 7s.; Skipton, 10s. (id.; Shrewsbury, 11s. 6d.; Scarborough,
19s. 6d.; Tarporley, Tideswell, Ss.; Trentham Park, 7s. ; Windermere, 142.; Wirral Peninsula, 11s. 6c1, ; Worksop, 15s.; Whalley, Os. 6d.; York, 15s. 6d.