ROAD-TRAVEL DEVELOPMENTS IN THE NORTH.
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Some Interesting Information Regarding the Arrangements Made to Cope With the Influx of Visitors to the North-East Coast Exhibition.
TNCREASED road-travel facilities .L. and projected improvements to existing services in Northumberland can be accounted for by the North-East
Coast Exhibition which is being held at Newcastle-on-Tyne. Thousands of visitors are being carried daily by motorbus to the Exhibition, and generally the : operating companies have adapted themselves to meet the growing demands upon their services. Long-distance as well as purely local services are beingwell patronized, and a number of companies, anticipating even greater business, is making important additions to summer programmes.
Recognizing the possibilities of properly organized motor-coach tours, the United Automobile Services, Ltd., enters this month upon a programme which has been specially arranged to suit visitors to the Exhibition. Day and half-day tours were commenced last Wednesday (June 5th) and these are being operated daily, excepting on . Saturdays, from the Newcastle Haymarket. The tours will be continued throughout the summer months. An attractive booklet, which the company has had printed at the Exhibition, sets forth the details of the tours and it indicates the local beauty spots and places of historical interest which are included in the itinerary.
The day tours start during the morning aml-end in time for an evening call to be made at the Exhibition, whilst the half-day tours begin during the afternoon and form a circular run lasting about 7i hours. It is a new departure for the United Automobile Services, Ltd., which is the largest operator in the district and which already works local and long-distance services on a comprehensive scale. This
concern has also recommenced its Newcastle-Scarborough daily service.
Clan Motorways, Ltd., has just expanded its daily service between-Newcastle and Glasgow, via Jedburgh, Calashiels, Melrose and Peebles, by the provision of the first night service between the two cities. It was scheduled to commence last Tuesday night (June 4th). Whitley Bay iS left at 10.15 p.m., and Marlborough Crescent, Newcastle, at II. p.m.
The Northern General Transport Co., . Ltd., of Chester-le-Street, in addition to its daily services to Keswick, Southport and Blackpool, has commenced a two-hourly service between Newcastle and Manchester, via Darlington Ripon, Harrogate. Leeds and Huddersfield, in co-operation with the West Yorkshire Road Car Co., Ltd., the Yorkshire (Woollen District) Electric Tramways, Ltd., and the North-Wetern Road Car Co., Ltd. • An efficient service of buses operated on an hourly basis is also worked between Newcastle and Edinburgh. Another recent development on the Newcastle-London route is the arrangement which has been reached for the inier-availability of return tickets on the Tyne and Thames " Nite " Service and Phillipsons " Stella" Coaches.
An announcement has just been made that the United Automobile Services, Ltd., is to provide a further longdistance service. This is to be operated twice daily in each direction as from to-morrow (June 12th) between Neweastle Haymarket and Doncaster, via Thirsk and York ; it will be known as the Midland Express. At Doncaster connections will be made with the company's services to Sheffield, Rotherham, Scunthorpe, Boston, Nottingham, Worksop, Barnsley, Mansfield and Sheffield. Through booking facilities between Edinburgh and other principal centres will be available, allowing through travel from the Scottish capital to the East Coast of England.
That the north is well catered for in long-distance services is evident, and the operators are certainly endeavouring to meet the influx of traffic to Newcastle. In the course of the next few weeks further surprising developments are likely on two or three services.
increasing in size in an extremely rapid manner.
Eight of the 28 ve-hicles are sixwheeled double-deckers. Despite the limitations of the services—that is, no long-distance working is carried on and no trips for excursionists are operated (the town having a large 'army of private coach owners catering far these)---the traffic Amounts to 40,0(n) passengers daily during the sin:rimer; and from Easter to the autumn between 7,000 and 0,000 passengers are carried per diem.
Morecambe, of course, is growing in more than one respect—as a residential resort for Lancashire and Yorkshire business people. and as a holiday resart with varied charms of sea, mountain and country, whilst facilities for sea fishing, yachting, motor boating, etc., arc available. , Again, traffic is mostly between 10 a.m. and 11. p.m., with few " early birds" or late travellers: The .service is entirely restrictedto the town area. reaching from Bare '• at the east end to Heysham on the west, with 2i miles on the promenade and 2.340 miles on the Heysham road.
There is nothing conservative about the policy of Mr. Ludgate and his enterprising committee. As shown in the summary above, several chasSis makers have been supported, and as regards bodies, four of these have been constructedby Messrs. J. A. Cross' and Sons of Morecambe, and some others by Short Bros., of Rochdale, whilst the Guy buses have been supplied complete by the maker.
Double-deckers are deemed excellent for summer use (all having open tops), but the single-saloon buses are used in the winter, because they not only offer less windage when storms are in progress, but they can meet adequately the needs of regular residents,