CHAR-A-BANCS NEWS AND COMMENTS.
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Matters of Topical Interest to Proprietors of Motor Coaches.
Manchester's Chars-a-bancs.
THE MANCHESTER City Council are about to trim up the old Infirmary site in the centre of the city, and plant a few shrubs, which will be
observable through iron railings. In view of the congested state of Market Street and Piccadilly, it would have been well to utilize this open space as an open-air terminal or turning point for the motor lorries and chars-s,-bancs that form a good portion of the city traffic. At present motor lorries have often to make needless journeys in order to find a. convenient turn. This not only entails a waste of time and petrol, but it adds to the volume of the traffic in streets that are already overcrowded. Moreover, it might have made a fine motor charel-bancs centre, such as the tramway centre at Bristol. There is need of something of the kind, and, the Manchester Team Owners' Associa,tion, through its Motor Transport Section, will do well to continue its efforts to secure recognition for the char-a-bancs from the local authorities.
Mr. H. Howard Robinson, the active secretary of the Association, tells us that the Watch Committee have just consented to make half-a-dozen stopping places' for chars-a-bancs in the city. Peter Square and Stevenson Square have already been fiXed, but something.
more is needed. Unhappily, the impression still prevails that the 'tramcar, monopolizing the centre of the roadway, is the only means of passenger transit, and all the City Fathers do not know that there are now a dozen motor services plying daily from Manchester to Blaekpool, North Wales, and Southport. Most of these have to begin at
the owner's garage. Their business would be facilitated if the Infirmary site could be utilized aS a starting point. Garage proprietors are ratepayers, and those that run passenger services have a right tosconsideration.
The Manchester Team Owners' Association, which has a very active motor transport section, has been seeking the unification of rates for motor chars-a's banes—a very necessary matter, seeing that some owners are now doing evening work carrying passengers for 30 or 35 miles into Cheshire for 3s. or 3s. 6d, ecnrdin e to disposition, •rather than tb• scale. From Manchester to Deneaster,
or Rhyl, 20s. per passengeris a fair rate; to Liverpool, West Kirby and
Chester, 16s.; Matlock, 14s. 6d.: Black pool or Hawarden, 15s. 6d.; Southport or New Brighton, 12s. 6d.; Chester,
12s.; -Buxton, us. 6d.; Haydock Park, 7s. 44. ' • Alderley, Marple, or Knutsford, 6s. 6d. It is generally understood that the passengers must pay all tolls..
and ferry charges, and that full day bookings are not accepted under 10s. 6d. per passenger. On Saturdays far higher prices are now obtainable,' i and I have seen quotations for 14s. 6d. for the half day at the end of the week. In preventing some of the insane competition that threatened at the beginning of the summer the Motor Transport Section has done good work. Mr. Howard Rebinson is quite grati; fled with the esprit de corps that is manifesting itself among the drivers, as well as the members of his Association. A badge has been prepared, which will be the passport to help when needed on the road, and which will give confidence to those who have „goods to send. Much trouble has arisen with seine of the people who have sought to put customer and freights.con tracter into touch on commission terms. In the event of a delay or breakdown of the one vehicle owned by the contractor there has been, M the past, no remedy.
But in arrangements for transport with the Manchester Team Owners' Association any mishap can soon he remedied through another member of the Association.
Mr. Robinson has scores of firms and hundreds of vehicles on his books, all
in active business as haulage contractors, and specializes in the handling of particular classes of goads. Already much trusiness is got through at the rates recently quoted in The Commercial Motor, and the co-ordination of motor traffic is making real progress under the auspices of the Association.
North Wales Char-a-bancs Owners.
The North Wales section of the Liverpool District, Cheshire and North Wales Char-a-bancs Owners Association have held their first meeting at the Queen's Hotel, Rhyl.
A Hint for Seaside Owners.
ISITING Blackpool recently, we
viewed, from the early forenoon, a wonderful panorama of the char-abanes invasion, and in the evening, from 5.30 onwards, their seemingly reluctant retreat. The Queen of the Lancashire watering places attracted more motor vehicles than ars! other we have yet visited. They could be counted by the score, and supplemented by the local fleets, of which there are several, were quite a formidable squadron.
Lancashire mill-hands, when they go out for a day to the seaside, mean what they say—they like to get to their destination early and leave late, with the result that the drivers very often have a full day on the roads. Is there not room here for a working arrangement between the town owners and the seaside owners with regard to visiting drivers an cars? There are a number of afternoon tours from Blackpool. Would it not be useful for town owners to lend their drivers, and, if necessary, their cars also, to seaside . concerns when the pressure is very great on their own services. We noticed that most of the visiting cars were ;araged on their arrival at Blackpool.
To Help the Small Man.
The owner of a single char-a-bancs has much to gain and nothing to lose by membership of an association covering his trade. Linking up with others he is at once enabled, owing to the observance of agreed rates, to quote for any parties, no matter how large, and,working with owners of fleets, can requisition vehicles from them or place his orders with them on a commission basis. On the other hand, when his trade is slack there is always the possibility of him getting work from fellow members, pay-. hagthem a eonimission on the order. There are several organizations working on these lines hi the north country, with very good results.
The pooling'of the resources of haulage and char-asbanes fleets is an idea that is looming very largely. at the present time, and its real utility lies in the fact that the management of several fleets under a single executive reduces the exercise of separatist or the individual functionA of proprietors to the minimum.