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PASSENGER TRAVEL NEWS.

19th February 1924
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Page 22, 19th February 1924 — PASSENGER TRAVEL NEWS.
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The Latest Doings and Developments in the Bus and Coach World.

GETTING READY FOR THE 1924 SEASON.

The Plans and Intentions of a Prominent Newcastle Coach Owner who Holds an Optimistic View of the Industry's Future.

I"' AS IS often asserted, optimism is the keynote of success in business, then Mr. George Galley, one of the leading motor coach proprietors in the Tyneside neighbourhood, need have little fear 'with regard to the future. Mr. Galley has had an extremely lengthy connection with the motor coach industry in the North of England, and indeed must rank amongst the pioneers in that. district, for he was operating coaches for T.Leasu re-par t y work fully ten years ago, when the coach was somewhat of a rarity locally, and certainly by no means the every-day sight it. is at the present time..

When a representative of The Commercial Motor called at one of his garages in Newcastle, he found Mr. Galley very busily engaged in assisting in the overhaul of his vehicles and superintending operations generally. Mr. Galley discussed at some length the details of new coaches which he intends potting on the road at the beginning of the coming season, and was quite sanguine as to the prospects so far as business is concerned.

" Many coach owners grumbled last season at business," he commented, " but personally, whilst I did net have an extraordinarily. good year, I found business sufficiently encouraging, and if I never have a worse season I shall not grumble."

The work during_ the 1923 season, which must servo as the principal guide in formulating plans for 1924, had, he told our representative, showed a direct tendency on the part of the public to favour both longer single-clay tours and tours lasting from between three and five, or even more days. The six vehicles which were run by Mr. Galley last season were kept constantly in service: from the opening to the close of the somewhat curtailed North-country coaching season, and business was steady, and fairly remune)intive, throughout..

The fleet last season consisted of three 30-seater Dennis coaches, a Daimler coach of similar capacity, and two Crossley 14-seaters. The heavier vehicles are all equipped with super-cushion tyres, Mr. Galley holding the view that, on account of the restricted speed limit for heavy coaches, such equipment provided riding comfort equal to that given by pneumatics. .0The smaller vehicles are, of course, primarily reserved for what might be termed the luxury trade, and are fitted with pneumatics. They are in particular demand for small private parties and for extended tours, for which they are especially adapted.

Mr. Galley makes a very wise rule never to take any chances with tyre equipment, even at the expense of curtailing the life of a tyre. Immediately any sign of a defect is observed the tyre is replaced, and therefore nothing like the full life is ever obtained, but although this procedure slightly increases overhead charges it is more than compensated for by securing reliability and a total lack of trouble on the road. As it is, between 10,000 to 12,000 miles are obtained from a tyre working under normal conditions before replacement becomes necessary.

Being, as they were, constantly .employed throughout last season the coaches covered extremely big mileages, and it is computed that on an average the fast, light Crossleys. each travelled anything up to 800 or 850 miles per week, and the heavier coaches between 500 and. 600 miles in the same period.

It is a happy augury to find that Mr.

Galley is considering increasing his fleet at a time when many others in the district are seriously thinking of either cutting down their fleets or dispensing with their coaches altogether. Mr. Galley, however, encouraged by Use results of his 1923 season, is bringing the total strength of his fleet up to eleven vehicles.. He is augmenting, in the first place, his heavier vehicles by the purchase of three new 30-seater Dennis coaches, in which make he has the highest confidence and reliance, and, whilst small-capacity coaches do not seem likely for a considera.ble time to oust their larger brethren in tiais district, for the more popular classes of work, the demand is nevertheless increasing amongst the better-class clientele, and accordingly two 20-seaters, on pneumatics, will also be secured prior to the opening of the season. He has not yet definitely dec:ded upon the make of coach he intends to buy. Therefore, by the time the curtain is rung up on the 1924 season Mr. Galley will have practically doubled his fleet.

On the question of fares, Mr. Galley says that he sees little or no prospect of any forthcoming reduction as compared with 1923 prices, because then fares were cut to the lowest margin (consistent with a proper allowance for maintenance charges) in order to meet the decreased earnings of the majority of the workers of the district, and, there. fore, in his opinion charges will be based roughly -upon 10. per passenger per mile, which is quite a reasonable figure considering all the circumstances.

As has been mentioned earlier' there was a noticeable tendency in 1'923 for the coach-using public to travel farther afield than in precious years, and accordingly this class of tour will be developed to the utmost during the .forthcoming season. One of the most popular tours operated by Mr. Galley is one of 194 miles, via Alston, Penrith, Windermere, Kendal, Kirkby Stephen, Brengh, Bowes, Barnard Castle, and thence to Newcastle, embracing delight

fully varied scenery, ranging from that of the unequalled English Lake District to the wild and rugged moorlands.

All tours are operated on the circular principle, and care is taken to give the maximum amount of pleasure to patrons and to visit as many beauty-spots as possible, and other tours, which might • be cited as giving really remarkable variety of scenery are the following :-(1) Barnard Castle, High Force, Middleton-in-Teesdale, Hexham, and Newcastle —114 miles. (2) Otterburn, Cater Fell, Jedburgh, Wooler, Rothbury, Morpeth, and Newcastle. This tour is through the celebrated Border country and em.

braces sense of the finest mid-Northumbrian scenery; it covers 140 miles.

In the way of short half-day trips, -operated in order to provide a few pleasant hours for patrons who are unable, for financial or business reasons. to .indulge in longer trips, near-by resorts, including Alnwick, Almnouth, .Allendale, Rothbury, Otterburn and Darlington— all between 33 and 36 miles distant from headquarters—were popular venues last season, the charge being 6s. 6d. in each instance. These will again figure on the 1924 programme.

Another notable feature last season was the increased demand for extended tours, in which direction Mr. Galley did good business. Tomes of three, five and six days' duration were made to the Lake Distriet at frequent intervals. Usually patrons made their own hotel arrangements, and the charge for the road journey varied from £3 to £5, depending upon the length of the tours, which ranged from about 220 miles to 350 miles, or even 400 miles, according to the route chosen. In many of the six-day tours Blackpool was included. Similarly, Blackpool proved a" favourite venue an the direct tours extending over three days, one day being taken up on the outward journey and one on the return, leaving a full day at the popular Lancashire seaside resort.

Scottish tours, extending over 14 days,. also met with good response and proved admirable holidays for those wise enjoy road touring. On these ample time was allowed for sight-seeing at the various places figuring on the itinerary, and the rune proved an unrivalled method of seeing the most and best of what Scotland has to offer. Amongst the places touched were Berwick, Edinburgh, Dundee, Montrose, Aberdeen, Ballater, Blairgowrie, Perth, Callender, and the world-famous Trossachs, Greenock, Ayr and Glasgow, the return journey to Newcastle being through Dumfries, Moffat, Wooler and Rothbury. A highly appreciated innovation was a steamer trip along one of the celebrated Scottish lakes, the coach travelling round and awaiting passengers at the other end of the lake. The total distance covered on this trip was about 800 miles.

On this class of tour ample room is, of course, provided for luggage, and care is taken to ensure that there is no overcrowding. In addition to the large luggage lockers at the rear of the coaches, it is customary to leave a few seats vacant for additional baggage, and therefore a 30-seater is never booked , to carry more than 25 passengers, and only a dozen people are carried on a 14-seater engaged in extended tours.

During the coming season Mr. Galley intends giving special attention to eistended tours and he will make a feature of both Lakeland and Scottish outings over a variety of carefully selected routes, which will be chosen so as to embrace many of the beauty spots 'which . make special appeal to road tourists.

So far as this individual owner is concerned the prospects for 1924 are particularly reassuring, for, even at this early date, he has distinctly : good advance bookings, especially for hbliday periods.

Mr. Galley secures a fair amount of winter work for his vehicles, chiefly in connection with football and dance parties, which this season have been particularly numerous. Winter, tom is largely occupied in getting the vehicles into first-class condition • for the following season, and each coach is verY thoroughly overhauled. During the • summer months a special night. staff is engaged in cleaning down the vehicles after they have completed their day's journeys, so that they are neat; and trim and in excellent mechanical orderfor the road on the following day. In this way breakdowns are avoided, and thorough satisfaction and freedom; from trouble can be reasonably guaranteed to passengers Probably nothing is likely to achieve succese so • thoroughly in the Motor coaching industry as the personal touch, which Mr. Galley has developed assiduously and to excellent purpo.se. He has a large regular list of patrons and possesses a fairly exact knowledge of the requirements of each, and, therefore, in the event of a few iseats .being vacant on any run, he scuds a postcard to those whom he thinks might be interested in the particular route, and in this way is able to fill his coaches, instead of running the vehicles below capacity. Indeed, on several occasions, when a vehicle has not been booked up for a regular half-day-or day run, he has been able to turn it out with a full complement of passengers by such friendly little suggestions.


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