PROGRESS IN PASSENGER TRAVEL
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The Latest Doings and Developments in the Bus and Coach World.
53 Miles at Bus Routes.
Details of a Mixed Fleet of Vehicles, Carrying More than 20,000 Passengers a Week.
THE RIB13LE MOTOR SERVICES, LTD., operate a fleet of 21 vehicles, 16 of them being motor omni
buses, from Preston. They are spick-andspan: machines; and every week during
the winter months carry over 20,000 passengers. This summer, however, . the company hope to increase the patronage to 50,000, but to detail how they intend to do so. is for the. moment sub judice. The fleet consists of two Kacciens, seven. Daimlers, nine A.E.C.s, one
lorry, an old Earner lorry, and a nondescript.. Ten of the buses are single de.clsers., most of them capable of seating, 32 passengers, .and six of them are doublesdeckers, three having accommodation for 36:passengers,,two fer 40; and. one for 48.
In an interview with Major 11. E. Hickmott, the managing director,. the . question was asked why his, company apse a mixed fleet. The explanation was simple.
"This business" he said, "up to about two years ago was carried on by. another firm, who, went in for Karriera.
We should: have continued with Earriers, but we were unable to obtain other machines of this makce,. and, therefore, counted ourselves fortunate in being aJble to purchase A.E.C.s."
Are the bus services run by your company to purely local districts ? '
"Nat at all. As a matter of fact, we 'do not run: purely local services,, though, of, course, we mast. run through the borough."
" And how does the total mileage of your routes figure out ?
After rapid 'calculation, Major
Hickniott said that the company's buses covered 53 -miles of road, being an average of nearly eight miles per service. Bomber Bridge is 3.3 miles, Higher Walton 3 miles (on Saturdays a 15 mini. service is maintained), Leyland 64 miles., Longton 4.7 miles (extensions at weekends to Hoole 6.6 miles), Chorley (hourly service), then to Standish 14.2 miles, to connect, with the Wigan tramways and to+ Adlington, and a. Sunday service to: Lougridge miles, "Only this Morning," added Major Hickmott, we.reeeived.permisaion from the Ministry of Transport to'run an extension to Horwich, where the buses will make a connection with the Bolton tramways. We intend to make other extenBjorn as well."
"How many councils have licensed your buses to run through their areas?"
'We have permission fram seven borough councils, as well as from iirnumerable urban districts."
"On what basis do you calculate fares? " we asked.
"The minimum fare is twopence, and we reckon journeys up to three miles at twopence per mile. The fares vary, but they are never more than twopeneetper mile. For considerable distances they go down to 10. and even 1.A. per mile. Our best connection is with people who live outside the town."
Major Hickmott added that the buses are not used' for the conveyance of parcels,
The motor omnibuses of the Ribble Motor Services, Ltd., at therpresent time link up about 40 places, and' every month the company issue a very handy little pocket tune-table, giving not only particulars of times of arrival, and depar
ture at every place meationed' in the guide, but the fares between extreme and intermediate destinations. Here are a few of the fares :—Preston to Member Bridge (3.3 miles) 6d., Charley Is. 3d., Standish (14.2 miles) 2s., Higher Walton (3 miles) 6d.
Another Preston motor omnibus company is the Pilot Motors, Ltd. A distinctive feature of this service is that it is possible to purchase. quarterly, halfyearly, or yearly contracts for the use of the buses between specified places and Preston. Details are as follow :—
12 maths. 6 meths, 3-mnths.
. s. d. L a d, s, d. Garatang miles} 13 13 0 '7. 115 3 411 0 Broekboles Arms.. 12 17 10' 7 105 4 G Brook (Green.Mary 12 2 8. 7, 1 7 4 0 11
Bilaborrow ... 11 7 6 6 12 9 8 15 10 White House ... 10 12 4 6 3 10 3 10 11 Station Lane'... .._ 10 9 9 5 19 5 15 8 3
Broughton Village 9 17 2 5 15 0 8 5 9
A Bus Time-table.
A National Guide to Services Running in England and Wales.
VE understand that Rieu, Wiley and Cf):, Ltd:, publishersand adveri .tising agents,. of 123, Pall Mall, London, S.W.1, are preparing for publication in the Springs monthly naVional motor omnibus golds and time-table; including all the services operating in England and Wales.
The development of the motor omnibus industry has been so rapid that the general public are hardly aware that it has reached astage when' it may reasonably be compared with its, older rival, the railway, system of Great Britain ; and a glance at the road' map-, which will be issued with the guide, would probably astonish even those, who have some knowledge of what has been accomplished. A vast network of omnibus routes stretches all over the country, linking up. the big centres, passing through innumerable beauty spots, and giving access to villages remote from any railway statio-n. For road travel, whether on business or pleasure, the eystem exists, and is rapidly increasing both in extent and -popularity. Local time-tablee are available, but all travellers, who desire to make connections beyond the limits of their local system, or plan more eateneine tours, are handicapped by the diffi
culty of obtaining information. This want the new publication will fill. It should not only prove of great value to the public, but is calculated to react most favourably en the erowth of the motor omnibus industry. It is obviously to the interest of all proprietore to see that the publishers receive full data from them as early as possible, including details of all new services which it is proposed te open during the spring of this year.
Long-distance Winter Touring.
THE DEVELOPMENT of autumn and winter-time motor coach touring has been vary carefully studied by the proprietors ef the Red Garage, Llandudno, who have made a practice of these special tours for the past eix years. One of their most ambitious schemes was the fortnight's Scottish tour, which, was planned from October 10th to October 23rd last, the inclusive fare for the 14 days' trip being 225, which sum covered everything, except wines and other drinks. The hotels for accommodating the tourists were all first class, and particular attention was paid to the iroportance of allowing time for visiting places of interest touched in the course of the tour. Each passenger was allowed to take 28 lb. of luggage, and only four persons were carried in each row of seats. The accompanying map shows the ground covered during the 14 days, which allowed a full week-end to be spent in Edinburgh and a circular tour to be made from. Windermere, as well as the luncheon and night stops en route. The time of starting in the morning varied from 9 o'clock to 10 o'clock, se cording to the dista ace to he travelled. The tour, which was specially arranged for Llandudno r-edelents, was voted a great success, and enceuraged thepromoters in the development of winter work.
The same ooncere also specialized in a seven .days' leiliday tour from Llandudno to London, and, as in the ease of the Sc:ottish tour, ample time was allowed the passengers at all the chief centres of interest and beauty spots. A special representative of the company was carried on board in order to conduct the tour personally. In this case, the fare was 12 guineas for the week and was inclusive of first-class hotel accommodation. The route selected was well and carefully planned, and included places of historical and picturesque inteiest. The Red-Garage run both Daimler and Thornyecoft machines, and. they have always made a great point of giving their clients the best in every respect This concern has had 16 years' experience in motor coach work and was one of the first companies to handle this class of trade.
Char-a-bancs Traffic. Drastic Regulations Suggested. THE Parliamentary Committee of the Essex County Council reports that, it has received further complaints as to the annoyance experienced by residents from the conduct of persons travelling on
motor rthars-&-bancs. Previously the committee brought the matter to the notice of the Hume. Office, which then 020
stated that before taking any action it proposed to await the report of the Departmental Committee of the Ministry ef Transport on the Regulation of Road Vehicles.
The. committee has since been in communication with the Ministry with a view to submitting evidence to the Departmertal Committee with regard to the nuisance, and it proposes to suggest to that committee that where a motor coach is hired, the owner shall be required to furnish, at the request of the police, the Darne and address of the person hiring the vehicle, and that such -hirer shall be subject to conviction for any offence which may be committed by any person travelling in the coach unless, upon demand of the police. furnishes them with the name and address of the person who actually corrunieted the offence, and renders all reasonable assistance to the police in connection with any prosecution which may be be-ought in respect of the offence. In eases where the vehicle is not hired, the owner or the person in charge should similarly be made responsible for the conduct of the passengers.
Developing Coach Traffic.
A Liverpool Firm that is Catering for American Tourists and Family Outings.
('NE of the most interesting facts that kJ transpired in the course of an interview which a representative of The Commercial Motor had with Mae C. F. Rymer was that the Cunard Steam Ship Co. had arranged with the firm of C. F. Rymer, Ltd., of Liverpool, to provide a service of motorcars for the use of American and other tourists who desire to make the best use of the time at their disposal for visiting the beautiful and historic beauty spots in Britain.
Asked his views 'of the popularity of the entended tour, Mr. Rymer said that his firm were amongst the early pioneers, and believed that in 1921 these tours would be developed, the reason being that heavy taxation on private cars will enhance the use of the small ehar-abanes. We are going to make a feature
of running 16-seaters, oapaJbleof carrying two or three families and their luggage, for touring, for, by sharing expenses, the cost will net be so great."
"What are the distinctive features, of this coachwork, say, from the point of view of luggage-carrying facilities? "
"We are making the bodies, in our own works, and, so far as the accommodation for luggage is concerned, I think we shall work on the plan of a large box seat at the rear for bags, etc., not wanted on the journey, and lockers underneath each seat for week-end cases and other little odds and ends that may be required en route." " And the seating arrangements? "
" The seats in the 16-seaters will be made with arm-rests, just as in a firetclass railway coach, and irve hope to have the first vehicle ready for delivery within a week Or two. We have. in mind • building about 50."
" What is your idea of the largest practicable* coach carrying capacity ? " we asked Mr. Rymer.
" Our idea," he ea•id, is that coaches to take 30 persons should be the maximum. We have used mixed fleets of varying capacity from 14 to 30 seaters but this year we are going to specialize in the small family coach, the 16 Beater with pneumatic tyres."
" You have at fears, then, of a diminished popularity of motor coaching this coming season?
"Nest the slightest. The last thing that people will give up is their pleasure, and runs into the country are some of the real pleasures of life. The extended tour will be as much used as ever, but there will be greater progress made in the short tours, day runs from Liver-. pool to Llangollen, Bettws-y-Coed, Rhyl, and so on."
"What are the principal difficulties you_ encounter in arranging extended tours ? "
" Without a doubt the greatest trouble is the lack of hotel accommodation, and we are trying to overconte this by acquiring interests in catering establishmerits.''
" Do yeu intend to run any regular services throughout the se-mmer season? "
" We have thought of running a coach from. New Brighten to Llangollen every day, that is, if we can get authority to do so, and we intend opening up a depot at Llangollen."
Speaking of touring in North Wales, Mr. Rymer spoke of the difficulties caused by the narrow roads in that part of the country and of the fact that the county authorities were trying to keep coaches off certain of the roads in their territory.
" Our experiences of running last year," said Mr. Rymer, " were quite satisfactory, a,red, as for the corning season, I fear that the taxation is going to eliminate the single owner-driver. Hie day is over; and the future is in the hands of firma having fairly large mixed fleets."
" What is yeeir idea of a reasonably profitable charge to the public?' we asked.
"Well, in this trade it must be remembered that the coaches are idle seven months in the year. Their earning capacity is, therefore, limited to five months. Running costs for the Tilling-Stevens 30 seater petrol-electrics are about Is. per mile, and overhead charges are about 5d. per mile. That does not include the new taxation, but includes the insurance of every seat, which costs lie, for each one per season; 2d. per head per mile is a fair charge. Coaches on no account should be run on 10., unless we are to be in for a worse time."
" And does this apply to 16 seaters fitted with pneumatics? " "Oh, no. Sixteen seaters with pneumatic tyres would mean another halfpenny per mile, and the public would not grudge paying the extra."
Mr. Rymer thinks there is going to be an American invasion of the country this summer, and plans are being made ac
cordingly. Some of Messrs. Rymer's literature has been distributed in the States by one of the leading steamship companies.
"We have had a larger number of inquiries from America than ever before," said. Mr. Rymer; "and these visitors want to see as much as they can in as short eeime as possible. Our tours will beestarting at Faster, and not only are we going to run extended tours in this country, but on the Continent as well, as we did last ye-an"
As for picnics in 1921, there is little doubt of the char-a-banes being commissioned on quite as large a scale as heretofore. At Llangollen Messrs. Rymer have taken over an estate on the borders of the town, when:: they are making catering arrangements for the public to be supplied at a reasonable cost. The estate includes private grounds of about three acres, gardens for afternoon teas, room for games, etc. This will probably make a big appeal to the organizers of picnics.