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PASSENGER TRAVEL NEWS.

14th July 1925, Page 21
14th July 1925
Page 21
Page 21, 14th July 1925 — PASSENGER TRAVEL NEWS.
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The Latest Doings and Developments in the Bus and Coach World.

MOTOR COACHING IN DEVON. • A Great Development Observable in Two Years' Road Improvements and their effects upon the Coach Industry.

THE writer has recently enjoyed a short tour in Devon over the same roads and has seen the same beauty spots that he visited two years ago in similar circumstances.

Quite one of the most striking differences between the two trips has been the improvement in motor coaching services in the county and an extension of the routes which was apparent to an observer.

-The majority of passenger trips, either of short or long duration, which traversed the moorland districts could be performed by nothing larger than a medium-sized coach, and the number of Landes seen throughout the course of the tours was considerable. They appear to outnumber other makes to a very large extent.

Speaking generally, the apparent mechanical condition of the vehicles employed was exceptionally good; but, of course, it must be remembered that the driving conditions are such that any coach which is in a doubtful state is the worst possible advertisement for its proprietors, owing to the danger which is involved in its use in narrow and precipitous lanes.

Both this year and on the previous visit the writer was driving another vehicle, and ,had ample opportunities of following and passing motor coaches on the various routes on which they operated. It was pleasant to notice the extreme courtesy and skill of the drivers of all commercial vehicles in this district, the vehicles included everything from taxicabs up to S-ton steam wagons with trailers.

During the course of the two tours only one example of bad driving on the part of -a bus driver was observed, and that was partially the fault of the passenger sitting next to him.

The class of tourist using the coaches which ply, from such seaside resorts as Torquay, Teignmouth, Dawlish and Paignton is a discriminating one, many being apparently wealthy foreigners, in addition to quite a number who confessed to being owners of cars, but were too timid to drive their own vehicles in such difficult country. No fewer than four such passengers were discovered in one coach load of 90 persons.

Two years ago the condition of the roads, by which are meant the smaller highways leading to such beauty spots as Becky Falls and Fingle Bridge, was far from good, and, although at the present time there is room for improvement, it may be said that considerable work has been undertaken and the surfaces bettered, in addition to the rounding off of certain dangerous bends as well as general repairs, which tend towards safer motoring for all.

The use of tar-sprayinc, for the reduction of the dust nuisance has done much to add to the pleasure of coach passengers, but, of course, there are still many stretches of very narrow road which in dry weather are thickly coated with dust and grit.

So far as the writer was able to observe, medium-sized coaches now carry their human burden to many spots which, two years ago, seemed to be beyond the reach of the char-a-banes tourist.

An interesting little sidelight upon the use of commercial motor vehicles was afforded by the proprietor of an ice-cream stall. This enterprising individual had a big twin motorcycle and sidecar, in which he carried two drums of ice-cream, a tank of lemonade, several boxes of biscuits, chocolate and so forth, in addition to photographs and postcards of the district.

He confided that his daily work was to watch the chars-à-bancs' starting points to pick out the most likely group of tourists, so far as business was concerned, and to follow them to their various stopping points. When the limit of their ice-cream appetite was reached he set forth across country to one or other of the well-known coach stopping points and attached himself to 'another vehicle or group of vehicles, running with them so long as his stock lasted.

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