A BRADFORD OWNER'S VIEWS.
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A 20 Per Cent. Reduction in Fares Which May Stimulate Trade.
AGENERAL tendency to wait until the season opens out before developing any extensive plans is manifest among West Riding motor coach owners, this, doubtless, being due to the trade depression which has not yet been entirely oleared in many of the industrial districts. Mr. J. Terry, a member of the
National Council of the who is a partner in the Richmond Transport Co., Rialunond Road, Bradford, a concern lybioh runs a number of the latest type Harrier coaches with torpedo bodies, remarked to a representative of The Commercial Motor that, if only the trade depression would lift and. the
earnings of the weekly wage-earner could be raised to a more satisfactory basis, there was every prospect that in the West Riding coach owners would have a season which would be as good as Glad.. of last year. In the Bradford district prices have been fixed for the season, Which begins with Easter, on the basis of a 20 per• cent. reduction on last year's standard mates, and it is hoped that this will stimulate trade considerably. The rates are based on a rough estimate of lid. per mile per passenger, considering the 28-seater coach as standard. Mr. Terry admits that the margin between receipts and expenditure is cut somewhat fine, even although the standard rates fixed for the difficult routes are somewhat higher than the minimum; but he holds that the adoption of such a step is wiser than having a high charge, which, after all, is only a charge on paper.
The Richmond Transport Co. intend to run not only the ordinary day and holiday trips, but to feature two-day tours, and ten-clay—or longer—tours , to the South of England, Walee and Scotland. Bradford is conveniently placed for all classes of excursions, shoot half-day excursions being available to many interesting places in the Yorkshire Dales and on the Yorkshire Plain. Almost any place from Hull to Chester and Liverpool, and well into the Lake District, can be reached on the day exeursions ; but the development of the longdistance tours Mr. Terry looks upon as a form of business in which the motor coach stands alone. It is certainly a field of activity in which railway competition is likely to be the least serious, he remarked.
'Motor coaching had got a hold upon the residents of Bradford, said Mr. Terry, and the motor coach proprietors did not intend to let the railways or any other form of pleasurdrcaterers encroach.
in Switzerland, and others in France, and for these purposes the fleet will be considerably augmented. At present, although the real season has not yet. commenced, the all-weather vehicles are being kept fairly busy, and the company are confident that a very good season lies before them.