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Coaching Trends and Costs

6th November 1964, Page 128
6th November 1964
Page 128
Page 129
Page 128, 6th November 1964 — Coaching Trends and Costs
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

IN 1953 there were 81,407 public service vehicles in this country. By last year the number was reduced to 77,592. Concurrently the number of cars licensed and taxed for private use rose from 2-7m, in 1953 to 7.3m. in 1963. These bare statistics reveal the trend which is all too well known to public service vehicle operators, particularly where stage carriage services are involved. But even so these figures do not tell the whole story. Thus statistics ,relating to contract work show an opposite trend. In 1953, 258m. passenger journeys were made on this type of service, which by 1963 had risen to 314m. journeys.

Comparing passenger and goods operation, there is a marked contrast in the overall structure, in that there are many more large organizations in the passenger field than in goods operation. Thus, of the 77,592 p.s.v. in operation in 1963, 43,728 were run by operators having fleets of 249 or more, But here again statistics can be misleading. Out of a total of 5,004 operatqrs, 3,640 run fleets of five vehicles or less. Obviously, therefore, despite competition from the private car, there remains considerable scope and opportunity for the small operator, allied to the fact just mentioned that there has been a 21-7 per cent increase in contract work over the past 10 years.

Confirmation of trends in public passenger transport operation is contained in the Annual Report of the Traffic Commissioners for 1963-64 published last month. Rural transport still continues to show a decline and the following extract—from the Northern traffic area report—is typical:

" Local opposition to the abandonment of one service prompted us to approach another local operator to see if he could improve his existing facilities. Owing to the uneconomic nature of the service he was unable to help." But in contrast to this virtually universal problem, comment is also made in these reports on new possibilities. Thus, in connection with excursions and tour, the extension to the motorway M6 has created -new opportunities for the excursions and tours operators with destinations previously considered impracticable now becoming a reality. Whereas the traditional seaside destinations from the land-locked West Midland traffic area were Weston-super-Mare, Rhyl and Blackpool which are 106, 108, and 128 miles from Birmingham, new destinations such as Brighton and Scarborough at 165 and 175 miles are now possible.

Excursion Facilities

In the same area report a revealing comment is made as to the regularity with which travellers use excursion facilities. Although most witnesses appearing before the Commissioners of that area to give evidence of the need for additional excursion facilities were veteran travellers who spoke of making many journeys per season with the operator they were supporting, an analysis made by a daily operator of these facilities showed that such hardened travellers were very much in the minority. Of this operator's substantial loading for 1963, it was found that 73 per cent of the passengers made only one excursion, 17 per cent made two and, of the remaining 10 per cent, less than 21 Per cent made five or more journeys in the year.

Obviously, here again, there is a marked contrast with haulage operation where continuing flows of traffic from customers would be a common feature. Accordingly, the coach operator of excursions and tours would have to give considerably more attention to publicity and advertising, including the expense thereby incurred, than his haulage counterpart.

In the same West Midland traffic area report it is disclosed that increasing business is being done in extended tours in the U.K. and Trish Republic, despite voluminous advertising extolling the virtues of holidays abroad._ Two large operators in that area show percentage increases of 7-5 and 9-4 as between 1962 and 1963 in extended tours.

Despite the larger vehicles now permitted by the Construction and Use Regulations, a plea for the merits of smaller passenger vehicles is made in the South Wales traffic area report. It is claimed that a particular make of 29-seater bus had been the mainstay for many small operators in the rural districts of that area, but which is not replaceable at a price which can be afforded by such operators. In consequence they have purchased, at second or third hand, larger vehicles not entirely suitable to rural districts.

Maintenance of commercial vehicles is very much in the news at the moment and it is indicative of the trend of official thinking on this subject that one area report lists the improvements introduced by operators during the period of the report (1963-64) to maintenance facilities, distinguishing between new premises, major improvements and additional underside inspection and chassis cleaning facilities. It is added that absence of such facilities is confined almost exclusively to operators of the minibus type of public service vehicle. Accordingly, a potential entrant to p.s.v. operation would have to give due consideration, not only to the prospects and economics of actual operation, but also whether he had sufficient finance and experience to set up an efficient maintenance department comparable with that of existing operators and future competitors.

Still on the question of maintenance, the Metropolitan traffic area report confirms that the standard of vehicle fitness and maintenance continues to be generally good. But it adds that this is helped by the marked tendency of operators to invest in more modern vehicles—particularly of the coach type—with a consequent reduction in the average age of vehicles being operated. Even so the Metropolitan Traffic Commissioner considers that the time may be approaching when operators who do not have facilities for preventive or planned maintenance may not be eligible to hold p.s.v. licences.

Legal Requirements For the benefit of those not already familiar with the legal requirements in connection with p.s.v. operation, the following brief outline is given to this subject, although obviously the several Acts and Regulations concerned need to be studied in detail.

Firstly, a public service vehicle is any motor vehicle used for carrying passengers for hire or reward whether either (a) carrying passengers at separate fares or (b) not carrying passengers at separate fares but adapted to carry eight or more passengers. Public service vehicles are then divided into three classes: Stage carriages, express carriages and contract carriages. A stage carriage is a p.s.v. which carries passengers at separate fares and which is not an express carriage. In contrast, an express carriage is a p.s.v. which carries passengers at separate fares, none of which is less than Is. A contract carriage is a p.s.v. which does not carry passengers at separate fares—that is, there is a contract expressed or implied for the use of the vehicle as a whole.

For all public service vehicles a p.s.v, licence must be held for the vehicle and the driver (and conductor if any) must hold driver's and conductor's licences. For stage and express carriages it is necessary also to hold a road service licence for the particular service which is to be operated. But a road service licence is not required for contract carriages.

P.s.v. licences are issued by the Traffic Commissioners for the area in which the vehicle is normally used. Such a licence is personal to the holder and authorizes the use of the vehicle on either a stage, express or contract carriage, as the case may be. But before such a licence is granted, a certificate of fitness must be in force in respect of the vehicle concerned. Such certificates are issued by the certifying officers when they are satisfied that the vehicle complies with the prescribed conditions as to fitness. The fee for a p.s.v. licence is £8 10s. and the licence is valid for one year. The fee for a certificate of fitness is £5 10s. and the certificate may be valid for a period of from one to seven years as the officer may determine.

Hire or Reward Regarding the definition of "hire or reward ", any payment or consideration given by or on behalf of a passenger constitutes hire or reward. Similarly, any payment made to a club or society which entitles the passenger to be carried on one of its own vehicles also constitutes hire or reward, even though the payment is not directly related to the

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