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Coaching into Holland

30th April 1983, Page 24
30th April 1983
Page 24
Page 24, 30th April 1983 — Coaching into Holland
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

"NO STRIKES — or we'll call an air strike down on you" said a cheeky slogan on a banner when the Royal Navy sailed back from the Falklands into Portsmouth. The North Sea Ferries vessel, my Norland, came back from Falklands service last week into operation on the line's HuII/Europoort route. In Holland a notice warns drivers bound for Britain: "Due to dockers' strike there is no freight customs clearance on Saturday and Sunday."

Actually, it's a work to rule, which may seem a fine distinction both to a tired lorry driver or the crew back from the Falklands, where their ship was straddled by an Argentine Mirage aircraft's cannon shells. For many weeks there has been a dockers' overtime and weekend working ban coupled with a single-shift system. It means that the North Sea Ferries ro-ro service is severely restricted.

"The shift system is 8am till 4pm and we usually sail at six," said Bernard Curzon, sales manager. However, the first run attracted a number of self-drive units besides more unaccompanied trailers and the ship was given a ceremonial send-off with band and bunting, and greeted by an even bigger band in Europoort. Humberside operator Halcyon put on a special trip for the occasion with four coaches on board.

Coaches are a growing business between Hull and The Netherlands. Over there, representatives of VVV, the local tourist board, provided reasons. The country's capital, The Hague, a few miles on, is a gracious city, and £175m is the expected cost of developing attractions at the adjoining coastal resort of Scheveningen.

Any coach operator thinking of running a coaching holiday to Holland, the easiest Continental country to get on in, should write to VVV at The Hague, Scheveningen, Groot Hertoginnelaan 41, where the English-speaking information officers will be delighted to help.

Rebuilding and renovating the resort's historic Kurhaas Hotel has cost £27m and it has a wonderful room with murals where buffet meals are served and is worth a special visit. Winston Churchill, Joan Crawford, and Emperor Hirohito of Japan are among the celebrities who have signed its guest book.

North Sea Ferries tells me that it has experience of great cooperation from VVV, which may be able to provide a courier for a coach for a day. "Operators should not merely think of Amsterdam when they think of Holland," said Bernard, who added that, in fact, small operators among its 50-odd coach firm customers are beginning to run one-off trips there.

NSF's business is split roughly 50/50 between freight or cars and passengers. Since it started in 1965 it has built up its annual cargo trade to three million tons. It looks forward to the day soon when 30 to 40 self-drive units get away every sailing to Holland and around 15 on its Zeebrugge run. It says that the ferry trade is very competitive now, and the company will need to increase rates; it put them up only a "modest" amount on January 1, realising that hauliers in turn need to obtain better rates from their customers.

• by John Durant


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