Some Extended Tours "A Mad Rush"
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THAT they were" nothing more than a mad rush through, the country, and could not be regarded as sightseeing tours," was the allegation made against some long-date tours, at a sitting of the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners, at Dewsbury last Friday, when a number of applications for extendedtour licences was reheard.
The rehearing of the applications arose out of a number of appeals concerning previous applications for longdate-tour licences. One of the principal issues involved was the operation of what is known as the " fantail " tour, on which passengers are taken to a destination where accommodation. is provided for several days, and whence they are taken in the same vehicle for local daily excursions.
The railways object to this type of tour, which has been described by one railway counsel as " an express service in disguise." Several Yorkshire coach operators also objected to Lancashire operators picking up passengers in Leeds and Bradford.
Mr. Alf Masser, for a number of operators concerned, criticized what he termed " cheap " tours run by other operators. He suggested that if some of the extended tours asked for were sanctioned, chaos would again appear on the roads. There could be no objection to the old-established sight-seeing tour, hut, alleged Mr. Masser, some of the new-type cheap tours were nothing more than a mad rush through the country, and could not be regarded as sight-seeing tours.
Criticizing the charges made on some of these " fantail " tours, Mr. Masser said that if the reasonable allowance of Id. a mile were made for fares, little was left over for food and lodgings. He cited the following cases calculated on this basis:—Torquay, 621 miles, E2 I Is. 9d., leaving El 7s. 9d. for four days' food and three nights' hotel accommodation; Bournemouth, 770 .£3 4s. 2d., leaving E2 Os. 10d. for seven days' food and six nights' accommodation; Cornwall, 874 miles, £3 12s. 10d., leaving £2 17s. 2d. for seven days' food and six nights' lodging.
Mr. Masser added that the first day of an Easter tour with another firm
showed a journey from Bradford, via Manchester, Newcastle, Stafford, Wolverhampton, Bristol and Taunton, to Torquay.
Mr. W. R. Hargrave, for a number of other operators, said that the Minis try accepted the principle that there was no evil in the establishment of " all-in " facilities as such, but they wished to clear up the question of the regulation of the traffic.
Mr. B. de H. Pereira, opposing for the railway companies, said they felt that the new extended " all-in " tours would seriously compete with them.
Decision was reserved.