C oa ching.._ for the Hiker An Opening for Operators to Provide Special Private hire Facilities for Ramblers
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By C. Dexter Watts
(Camping Editor of "The Hiker and Camper," and Hon. Press Secretary of the Camping Club of GB. and I.)
THERE are nearly 3,000,000 hikers and campers in the British Isles and even if only a proportion of them can be diverted to road travel, each week-end, the results will be amazingly satisfactory.
Hiking is in full swing throughout the year and, even in the middle of winter, special trains are run from large centres to popular beauty spots. Yet I have not noticed any particular or sustained effort on the part of coach operators to attract this traffic.
The enterprising coach operator in or near fair-sized towns will, if he approaches the subject properly, find a good market for transport among the hikers of his neighbourhood. He should not aim so much at mass transport as at private hire to clubs, on the following lines :— He will have to get into touch with various rambling and naturalist clubs, armed with quotations for outward trips to one point and return journeys from another, to allow the club concerned to ramble across country.
The quotation should include the price per passenger per mile to cover any distance required by the club, and a minimum number of passengers which can be taken at this price. It should also include an appropriate maximum of passengers above which the price per head can be slightly reduced. This is an inducement to the club officials to exert themselves to obtain support for the venture.
In the larger centres, such as London, Newcastle, Bristol, Manchester, or Birmingham, there are literally hundreds of clubs which
ramble all the year round, and operators in these parts would be amply repaid for issuing booklets or folders describing a hikers' privatehire service.
The booklets can contain a few suggested hikes at distances of 15 miles or 20 miles from the city, giving definite details of inward starting and outward terminal points for each route.
Reducing Production Cost.
There is also a cliance to " tie-up " with refreshment houses on these routes, on the basis of mentioning the establishments and their tariffs in return for bearingpart of the cost of producing the booklet. In the latter event care must be taken to select houses that sef out to cater for ramblers.
It should be remembered that roost clubs like to finish their rambles with a substantial tea at about 6 p.m. in winter, or with light refreshments at about 8 p.m. in summer, and then to proceed straight home. Occasionally, however, an event like an annual general meeting (usually held after a ramble) will prolong the final departure for home until much later. The booklet should make a special note of extra charges to cover such a lengthy day. The "moonlight and sunrise" ramble is coming into favour. Usually this starts at about midnight, finishing an hour after sunrise. Coach transport should obtain a good footing here, as Sunday train services are, as a rule, hopeless for ramblers so early in the Morning.
Easter and other holiday touring should not be forgotten. Club officials, in conjunction with the coach operator, can draw up a definite itinerary covering the desired period. The daily procedure would be for the ramblers to be transported dear of the town where they spent the night, set down for their daily walk, and picked up again in time to be taken to another night's stopping .place, whence the same operation is repeated. Alternatively, perhaps, every other day can be spent in travelling between "hiking districts."
Inclusive charges per head can be quoted after getting into touch with hotels charging modest prices, and after the itinerary has been drawn up.
Each big centre has a federation of rambling clubs, of which the local Press will have particulars. From these federations can be obtained (usually at about 18.) their handbook, or year-book, containing, amongst other information, the names and addresses of the secretaries of constituent dubs. These are what the operator requires.
If I can help coach operators regarding possible "selling points" of any proposed leaflet or booklet, or on any other matter requiring the hiker's view-point, a letter addressed c.o. the Editor, The Commercial Motor, will bring the best reply within my power.