NEWCASTLE'S HOLIDAY WEEK AND COACHING.
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An Event which Promotes Considerable Business for Motor Coach Owners.
FOR one brief week in each year the population of Tyneside puts 'aside dull care and the worries of the remaining 51 weeks and enters into the spirit of pleasure-seeking and holiday-making with absolute abandon. This is on the occasion of the Newcastle Race Week, -which this year was celebrated between ;Tune 22nd and 26th. The concentration of vehicles during the holiday week was quite the largest seen in the locality, and a close observation of the road traffic points to the fact that many changes have taken place in the northcountry passenger road-transport industry of late.
Perhaps the most striking of these 'changes is the almost unanimous favour which pneumatic-tyre equipment has found for all classes of motor coach, even up to heavy 30and 32-seaters. 'Whereas last year the heavy coach shod with pneumatics was somewhat of a rarity, this year it is much in evidence. Similarly, many regular-service vehicles are now running on such equipment.
In addition, there is a noticeable improvement in the arrangement of tours and selection of routes as compared with past years, and the many carefully prepared race-week programmes of local coach proprietors displayed this develop
ment to the full. Perhaps the most notable innovation iii this direction is the introduction of short evening tours to popular resorts within a radius of between 25 and 20 miles, which, for some reason, have never previously been given serious consideration. Again, a very definite line is now being drawn between . whole-day tours of the direct-to-destination variety, and those which embrace a circular route.
Prominence was given during the Race Week in Newcaatle to tours coming under all three of the above categories and, in addition, extended tours were run on a much more generous scale than in the past. In this direction the Northern General Transport Co., Ltd., of Chester-le-Street, took a leading part. The three-day tours operated included one to Keswick and the Lake District, inclusive of first-class hotel accommodation and a steamer trip on Lake Derwentwater at £3 15s. per head, and another to Scarborough and Bridlington, two of the most popular seaside resorts on the north-east coast, at a similar in clusive fare. In addition, the regular two-day weekly coach excursion to Lakeland at £2 Sc. per head was run, and the tit-bit of the holiday programme
was a seven-day Scottish tour at £11 per passenger.
So far as whole and half-day tours are concerned the following list of arrangements made by the Northern General Transport Co., Ltd., provide an illustration of the preparations made and the fares generally charged in the district :
Whole-day (direct).—Richmond, 7s.; Saltburn and Redcar, Os. 6d.
Circular.—Jedburgh and Kelso, 9s. ; Middleton-in-Teesdale, 9s. ; Berwick, 10s. fid.
Half-day.—Blanchland, 6s.; Rothbury, 4s. 6d.
Evening Tours (depart 6.15 p.m.).— Whitley Bay, 2. 9d.; Cambo, 3s. Pd;; Heddon and Belsay, as. ; Roker, 2s. 6d.
Similar elaborate programmes were arranged by other local coaching concerns, including Moon's Motor Coaches, Messrs. G. Galley, the Ouseburn Transport Co., and others.
During the days covered by the race meeting local coach and bus owners from Newcastle and all surrounding parts over a radius of at least 20 miles found remunerative business in conveying racegoers to the course at Gosforth Park, about 5i miles out of Newcastle. On Wednesday, the principal day, thousands of people were conveyed by buses and coaches from Newcastle alone, and, as in past years, the method adopted for loading up passengers was again-carried out with success.
According to the time of their arrival, vehicles took up their stand in a queue, which commenced opposite the Central Railway Station and stretched backwards for fully half a mile, and each coach or bus, upon its return from the racecourse, fell in at the rear of the line and again moved up to the loading point. At the rush period fully 150 vehicles were engaged, and fares were fairly steady at 1s. 6d. per head.
The United Automobile Services, Ltd., the Northern General Transport Co., Ltd., and many smaller companies were prominent amongst those carrying passengers to the course.
Lancashire Authorities and a Bus Company's Enterprise.
T_T A VI NG done much to help the 11 .public to make easy journeys between places on the eastern border of Lancashire that are badly served by the railway companies, the North-Western Road ftr Co., Ltd., now find their, operations somewhat restricted in certain directions. The Stretford local authorities are about to insist on their public-service buses being fitted with pneumatic tyres, and this will involve an expenditure which will render it impossible for the company to run their vehicles without a loss if the present fare be maintained.
Certain difficulties have also arisen at Ashton-under-Lyne, where the local council refused to sanction the NorthWestern Co.'s buses plying for hire within the borough. It promised, a year or so ago, to provide a motorbus service in conjunction with the tramway system, but has hitherto delayed this provision. But the Ashton council now wishes to extend the services beyond Its boundaries along the main road to Mossley and thence into Saddleworth. On the latter portion of the route—about one-third of the whole length—the North-Western Road Car Co. have been running satisfactorily for some time, and, in response to the suggestion of the Saddleworth authorities, they have instituted a scheme of penny fare stages. Now the Ashton corporation has sought powers of competition.
The Ministry of Transport held an inquiry at Ashton into the subject a few days ago, the result of which-will be awaited with interest by the public who have been so well served by the motorbuses of the private company.