Scottish Tourist Trade Development
Page 31
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To develop the tourist business, the Scottish Omnibuses group is to set up a new organization in the United States to assist travel agents who send customers to Britain. Mr. lames Amos, chairman of the group, made this known last week.
Scotland, he said, could become another Switzerland and was only on the fringe of its tourist potential. Out of every £10 charged for extended tours, £7 went to hotels and restaurants en route. Revenue from coach tours in 1951 amounted to £310,000.
Last year, the group carried 775m. passengers in its 4,250 vehicles, which covered 178m. miles and earned £15m. During the first four months of 1952, 46 per cent, of the total mileage run by the group was unrernunerative.
"There is a lot of talk these days about monopoly, as if this invariably allowed an operator to sit back and soak his customers," said Mr. Amos. "Whatever monopoly we enjoy, it cannot be truly said that we have abused It would be a sad day if the Government allowed the conditions of pre-1930 to return. He was convinced that no other form of organization could have achieved the same results as the group.
Expenditure on new garages amounting to £305,000 had been authorized for 1952. The building of new stations and -depots involving £500,000. was under consideration and orders worth £1,278,000 had been placed for new vehicles.
100 UNLICENSED COACHES IN SHEFFIELD?
A COMPANY in Sheffield is running
20 coaches on tours without licence and there are about 100 such vehicles being operated in that way -in the city. 'this allegation was made during the bearingby the Yorkshire Licensing Authority of an application by Sheffield United Tours, Ltd., to pick up passengers at various points in the suburbs.
Mr. Ben Goodfellow, general manager of the applicant concern, said that his company had no desire to harm other operators, with whom it was friendly; they were feared less than those running without licences.
The company wished to have suburban picking-up points, as operators based there might seek extensions to their services.
The case was adjourned until September or October.
LAND-ROVER FOR G.P.O. WORK
AS an experiment, the G.P.O. is using a Land-Rover for postal deliveries in the mountainous area of the Mull of Kintyre. The roads do not permit full employment of a normal van and much territory has to be covered on foot.
The Campbeltown postmaster, Mr. W. Crichton, has stated that if the trial be successful, Land-Rovers will be used in other rural parts of Britain.