BETTER STOWING OF THE PASSENGERS' LUGGAGE.
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A Plea from the North of England for the Elimination of an Old Trouble.
AN effort is being made in the north of England to secure better accommodation for passengers' luggage on the long-distance motor coaches.
Complaints of inconvenience as a result of the lack of sufficient accommodation, or its not being properly used, have been made following the experiences of many motor-coach passengers during the recent holidays in the north, and a more definite stand by the operators is being urged.
It has been a vexed question in all parts of the country ever since motor coaching attained popularity, and there seem to be good grounds for the allege
tion that the comfort of many a journey is being marred by the quantity of Passengers' luggage packed somewhat indiscriminately inside the coach.
Unfortunately it must be admitted that the limit of one suitcase per passenger is very often exceeded, and it may be the fear that passengers would be discouraged if this restriction were .definitely imposed that persuades the operator to overlook the breach. Notices that one suitcase only will be allowed each passenger, although incorporated in most companies' time-tables and publications, are frequently ignored, and whilst exception may safely be made in a few cases, the danger of creating a precedent must exist.
The discomfort caused by placing luggage inside the coach, generally down the gangway, is not due to any failure on the part of the operator to provide the accommodation. Rather is it due to the disinclination of the passenger to allow his or her suitcase out of sight. No matter how satisfactory may be the luggage carrier on the top of the coach, or the special compartment built into the back or valances, many passengers cannot • be influenced to place their luggage in the safe keeping of the company.
It is in this respect that the operator must, if he wishes to safeguard his own interests, take a definite stand. For instance, a recent coach journey from Edinburgh to Newcastle provided, as one passenger described it, first-class railway travel at less than third-class fare, except in one respect. Luggage had been placed along the gangway. Passengers were consequently cramped, and, 'combined with the admitted danger of this practice, there .resulted
some adverse criticism. "