Operators have problems—but solutions must be found By F. K.
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MOSE: (IN reading what has gone before, my reaction as a roadkJ passenger-transport specialist should, perhaps, be to take up the cudgels on behalf of the long-distance coach operator. Unfortunately, however, I can only conclude that what has been written is unexaggerated, factual reporting, confirming that my own experiences have not been isolated examples.
For instance, in September, 1962, I travelled with my wife on the overnight coach from Sunderland to London. Having booked two seats, I naturally expected to be able to sit beside my wife on the coach. Two coaches arrived together, one empty, the other two-thirds full. The empty coach drove past and pulled up farther along the road. By the time the coach driver had fumbled about with tickets and cases and it became our turn to clamber aboard, there were only single seats left. One ot the drivers asked if single passengers would sit in single seats to allow " doubles " to sit together. No luck!
A good start to the journey—separated from my wife, sitting beside a thick-skinned character who ignored all hints to the effect that it might be gentlemanly for him to change places with her to allow us to sit together, and, to crown everything, an empty coach driving out in front. When we approached Tees-side, we detoured via Middlesbrough and back to Stockton, despite the fact we did not stop in Middlesbrough. We seemed to have been on the way hours before we had even cleared the Tees at Yarm.
Our first refreshment and toilet stop was a roadside café just north of Doncaster. This was very much a tea-and-bun place ,and was, of course, equipped with the inevitable juke box. The toilets had no lights working. So much for that—as the September night wore on, the cold seemed to increase, and the lack of rugs made sleeping very difficult.
The next, and last, refreshment stop was at a well-known transport café on the way into London. This place was obviously just expanding, and there was neither sanitation nor hot water. A hot drink would never have been more welcome, but it was not to be. A very cold still orange had to suffice. And so eventually, cold and tired, we arrived in the outskirts of London to begin what seemed an endless journey of stopping and detouring until Victoria Coach Station was at last reached. The only comfort of the last few miles was that! was reunited with my wife. (Did I overhear somebody say: "What do you expect for the price? ") I agree that an impressiop does exist that coach passengers B44 are the "third class" of long-distance travellers. Wi Dr. Beeching and the Government determined to make ti railways pay, the prices being charged for rail travel are like to drive more and more middle-class people to consider oth ways of travelling. These are the people who usually ov cars. and while they, may prefer not to go by car for foi distances, treatment such as that described here on any coal journeys they might attempt would soon drive them to tal their cars " next time ".
The people who cannot afford cars are, by and large, t! ones who also cannot feather Dr. Beeching's nest. But is ti any reason why they should have other-than-top-class treatme on their coach journeys? I have had cause in recent months meet several people at Victoria Coach Station, and also dispab relatives from there. This journal has already published sor observations of conditions at the station, and these have be supported by a recently published spontaneous letter from reader. Let me, therefore, only quote one further examr before trying to look at the other side of the picture.
On one of the above-mentioned occasions I went to Victor with my sister-in-law, who had a booking for the 8.30 p.i departure for Sunderland. We arrived at 8.10 p.m. to be good time for a seat, and saw two coaches already start& there One was full, the other nearly full. My sister-in-h proffered her ticket to one of the drivers, who said: "This o at the back ". Sure enough, there was a double seat towar the rear of the coach and my sister-in-law got a window se; or so she thought. Meanwhile, I had failed to get rid of h case in the luggage boot because it was full, and had to yai it on to an overcrowded luggage rack. (The coach was one a fleet which had been transferred from service coach duties meet the summer rush.) It was at this point that an irate gentleman arrived and sai "This is my seat ". He was followed by his wife, to whom turned, and accused her of not leaving a bag on the seat "book it ". My sister-in-law then found one remaining seat the very back of the vehicle and order was restored. I f rather sorry for her, as we had come early to ensure a go seat, all the more important as she had her very young son w her. The coach pulled away and, as I strolled out of the coa station, in drove a fleet of empty coaches for the 8.30-p. departure for Sunderland! If you arrive early you still lose!
I feel tempted to admit that this is all "petty ", but is it? seems to be happening all the time, to judge from story after story of similar treatment, similar experiences. What are the coach operators doing about, it? What are their explanations, their problems? (They do have problems.) This journal has been accused of critic;zing the very industry it should support. On the contrary, it is our wish to encourage the coaching industry, and give it all the support it needs. But first these very real criticisms and problems must be aired and a solution sought. And it seems to me that a good deal of apathy will have to be destroyed.
A simple explanation for the queues at the booking offices at Victoria is, I am told, that personnel who are happy to work there during the winter take fright as soon as the summer rush ,begins, and there is a continual staff shortage during the peak • months. The hours are long and the work exacting. Furthermore, Victoria Coach Station is the image in the eyes of most would-be coach travellers, who walk of ride past many agents where they could reserve a seat without waiting, only to meet similarly misguided people in a long queue at Victoria. In this respect, perhaps, more could be done to educate travellers by greater publicity of agent facilities.
Furthermore, many people travelling from, say, the North to destinations on, perhaps, the South coast, are unaware that they can book right throughfrom their starting point to final destination. The argument that people have tongues in their heads is not enough—they will not use that tongue at the right moment, which is in the office of the provincial agent when they book their initial return journey to Victoria. How many agents in places such as Newcastle, Manchester or Sheffield, for example, display a huge poster (it would have to be huge) to the effect that prospective coach passengers can book from there to most places in the kingdom? A further warning that travellers via Victoria may find conditions difficult at that point would also help. It the public expect to be led by hand they will have to be led by hand. I wonder if provincial companies are doing all they might to co-operate in this direction.
Certainly the management at Victoria Coach Station has a problem on its hands. While the railways are served by terminal stations at Waterloo, Victoria, Paddington. King's Cross and so on, virtually all the major national coach routes are funnelled into VictoriaCoach Station, and the traffic is growing. More courtesy on the part of some of the staff at this and other coach stations would not be amiss but, in London in particular, there is a staff shortage, and consequently good personnel are hard to come by.
As for roadside halts, the offending café on the way into London now has both sanitation and tea and coffee. though still combined with the noisiest juke-boxes (two!) I have ever made the acquaintance of. There is also a licensed restaurant, which is no help to coach passengers with their limited waiting time. Finding suitable refreshment stops, particularly at night, is indeed a problem for coach operators. Roadside facilities in this country do tend to be primitive, particularly with regard to toilet facilities. I noticed that when an attractive new motel was opened at Leeming Bar, on Al, with adequate eating and clean toilet facilities, coach operators on Al routes were very quick to adopt it as a refreshment stop. I am sure similar developments are taking place elsewhere.
One coach station I visited, incognito, was the Southdown combined bus and coach station in Chichester, Sussex. This station handles much less traffic than Victoria, for example, and consequently the problems are less, and full advantage is taken of the opportunity to give the best service. I went with an open mind and came away pleasantly impressed. The station is modern and well laid out, the assistant at the inquiry counter was pleasant, waiting-room facilities were adequate, and there was an attractive snack bar and a buffet alongside. The bus and coach stands outside were numbered, and all arrivals and departures (buses as well as coaches) were announced over a Tannoy system. A three-course lunch for 4s. 6d. was also available at the appropriate time.
Victoria Coach Station has all these facilities as well but, apart from the licensed restaurant, not on a much larger scale than Chichester. Arrivals and departures from Victoria are not announced over the loudspeaker system because, with so many going en at once, the speakers would be working non-stop to add to the hubbub of noise which inevitably exists already. The equipment is used for special announcements, such as reports of -lost children.
Courier Class Travel an Incentive?
1 have already referred to the attitude that coach travel is cheap travel compared with the railways, and so what can you expect? The railways are far from perfect and liable to get in a flap whenever traffic increases to a high level. One possible solution which is under consideration is to introduce a higher class of coach travel, not to replace the existing facilities but as a separate service with a higher standard of comfort and covered by higher fares. (Surely a straightforward admission that coach fares are pruned to the minimum at present, resulting in a certain loss of standards?) This new class might well be called the "courier class ", as presumably a courier or hostess would be carried, seats would be fewer, more spacious and more comfortable, air-conditioning would be. standard, and refreshments available. These services would have to be very limited-stop, and follow the quickest and most direct routes from point to point. I suggest that the basic fares should be the same as ordinary coach fares with a surcharge similar to that on Pullman rail services.
That such vehicles are already in service on some routes I am well aware—the "Gay Hostess" double-deck coaches of Ribble and Standerwick, for example. These are a praiseworthy attempt to improve conditions on some of the longer routes, but many mediumand long-distance services still have no facilities such as this. Furthermore, some • quite lengthy journeys can still only be accomplished, by road, in stagecarriage buses (Newcastle to Edinburgh, for example), which, to me, is intolerable.
As a final point, why are seats so crowded in the standard type of long-distance coach? My colleague Brian Cottee travelled to Weston in a 39-seat coach whichhad insufficient leg room. The single journey cost 17s., i.e. a full coach would bring a return of £33 3s. If this is the minimum return which operators consider economical, then why not reduce the seating capacity to 35 and charge passengers the extra ls. I ld. each which would be necessary to bring the total receipts to the same amount? Surely passengers would not mind paying an extra Is. lid, for a 140-mile journey to enjoy more spacious and comfortable seating. As an extra coach running less than half full is very often put on to take an overflow, the argument that maximum seating capacities economize on the number of vehicles and crews required is not really valid.
One thing seems very clear, and that is the stigma that coach travel is the "poor man's transport". The stigma must be removed by improved standards of comfort, speed and courtesy. Then, perhaps, many people who would like to go away for a week-end, for example, but are at present deterred by the prospect of the return coach journey, would be only too ready to make the journey and really enjoy the travelling as part of their holiday.