AT THE HEART OF THE ROAD TRANSPORT INDUSTRY.

Call our Sales Team on 0208 912 2120

BELIEVERS IN THE SMALL COACH.

21st September 1926
Page 59
Page 60
Page 59, 21st September 1926 — BELIEVERS IN THE SMALL COACH.
Close
Noticed an error?
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.

Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

The Activities of a Birkenhead Company, Who Have round Smallcapacity Vehicles of Considerable Value.

BELIEVERS in the possibilities of the small coach, Messrs. Macdonald and Co., of Birkenhead, who were in the transport business when horse coaches and wagonettes were largely in use, operate a fleet of coaches of varying capacities, comprising two 28-seater Leylands, two 18-seater Lancias, one 18seater Garford, one 14-seater Fiat, one

12-seater Rolls-Royce, one 10-seater Daimler and two hire cars, a Daimler and a Vauxhall. With the exception of the 28-seaters, all the coaches are shod with pneumatic tyres.

In an interview with a representative TAe Commercial Motor, Mr. Macdonald mentioned that it was his experience that the open-type 18-seater was the most preferable and workable class of coach for single-seat day runs. For this kind of business, it is; he told us, extremely desirable that waiting time on the stands should be reduced to a minimum, and coaches should be loaded with the maximum celerity. Hence the 14seater coach, other conditions being equal, is twice as easy to load to capacity as the larger type, the value of which is demonstrated when dealing with Private-party work.

" The small coach looks, and is, more comfortable, travels quicker and, therefore, can undertake longer journeys, bringing in an extra quota of revenue," remarked Mr. Macdonald.

Most of the work of the company during the winter seasonk is of a privateparty character, in addition to which coaches are run to football matches on Saturdays. Within a radius of seven miles football teams are carried at a charge of 1s. 6d. per head, and between seven and fifteen miles' radius at 2s. per head. During the winter the only two coaches licensed are an 18seater and a 12-seater.

This summer long-distance runs have not been so prominent in Messrs. Macdonald's list of tours as last year, the explanation being that the time taken in making the arrangements and the risk of the tours having to be cancelled at the last minute through lack of support is not warranted by the return.

So far as day tours are concerned, the following are some of the most popular :-Holywell, 6s.; • Prestatyn, 7s. ; Rhyl, 92.; Colwyn Bay, 10s. ; Llandudno, 11s.; Chester, 4s.; Llangollen, .7s. 6d.; Rhyl (via Vale of Clwyd), 10s.; Llandegla Moors, Horse Shoe Pass and Llangollen, 10s. ; Bryn Eglwys, Corwen and Llangollen, 10s. ; Llandegla Moors, Nant-y-Garth Pass, Ruthin, Denbigh • and Bodfari, 10s.; Llaudegla Moors, Nant-y-Gath Pass and Ruthin, Sc. 6d.; Vale of Clwyd tour, Sc. 6d.; Cheshire tour, 8s. 6d.; Mold, 4s. 6d.; Loggerheads, 5s.; Ruthin, 7s. ; Rawerden and Caergwrle 6s. ; Bettws-y-Coed, Swallow Falls, Llyn Ogwen, Nan-yFfrancon Pass, Llanfairfechan, Conway and Colwyn Bay, 17s.; Bettws-y, Coed and. Conway. Valley, 12s. 6d.; Ellesmere and Llangollen, 9s.; Bettwsy-Coect, Us.; Snowdonian tour, 18s.; Denbigh, Ruthin, Corwen, Llangollen, 10s.; Llandegla Moors, Nant-y-Gath Pass, Ruthin, Vale of Clwyd, Abergele, Colwyn Bay, Trefnant and Bodfari, 10s.; Ellesmere, SS.; Shrewsbury, 9s. These prices are more or less agreed upon by the Birkenhead coach owners.

Forprivate-party work, Birkenhead coach owners compete openly, as it is considered that an owner running a .33seater vehicle can quote a lower price than can the proprietor of small coaches. Whilst there is keen rivalry between the. Birkenhead coach owners, there is also a willingness to work on cooperative lines, and this has yielded an all-round benefit. One day last season, when a fully loaded coach from Liverpool broke a spring on the Birkenhead floating roadway, the passengers were transferred to a Birkenhead coach which completed the journey for the agreed fee. Later the Birkenhead company reciprocated by giving the losing owner a full coach booking to balanceaccount. Such a friendly spiri of reciprocity as this might well be taken as an example to be followed by other owners.


comments powered by Disqus