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8-ft. Coaches Needed for Tours T HE attitude of the Ministry

6th May 1949, Page 15
6th May 1949
Page 15
Page 16
Page 15, 6th May 1949 — 8-ft. Coaches Needed for Tours T HE attitude of the Ministry
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

of Transport _towards the 8-ft. wide vehicle, which was causing illogical discrimination in favour of the stagecarriage passenger, as compared with the tourist, who needed greater comfort, was criticized by Mr. DraYers. He also attacked certain decisions of Licensing Authorities in backing areas.

After pointing out that a longer vehicle would solve the problem of providing adequate comfort for coach tourists and maintaining fares at a reasonable level, Mr. Dravers stressed the need for 8-ft. wide touring coaches. Most touring companies, however, found it impossible to comply with the regulations requiring that, in licensing 8-ft. vehicles, three copies of a lain. map and three plans on a larger scale of every town en route, should be submitted to the Licensing Authorities.

The large stage-carriage operators had been left to do the spade work and even they found the task so formidable that progress in many areas had been slow. The result was that increased comfort was being given to the "penny fare," instead of to the tourist. Mr. Dravers suggested that the interests of the travelling public should remain as great a concern of the Ministry of Transport as of the trade.

Alternative Procedure There was much to be said for the proposal that all Class A roads, except those proved to be unsuitable, should be free to vehicles 8 ft. wide. If this proposal were regarded as too simple, divisional road engineers should be permitted immediately to recommend the use of wider vehicles on roads that they knew to be suitable. Town routes could be fixed by the police. Doubtful roads could be the subject of 'a joint reconnaissance by Licensing Authorities, divisional road engineers and the principal operator in the area, or nominees of the three trade associations.

If the existing procedure had to be accepted, there were ways in which operators might be given some official aid. In one or two areas, Licensing Authorities were behindhand in publishing details of approved roads. They were also required periodically to publish a consolidated list. It would be better, said Mr. Dravers, if a consolidated list of roads approved in all areas were to be published centrally every six or, 12 mouths, togetherwith maps quoting the road numbers. It would also be an advantage if particulars were to be published of roads that had been examined and rejected as unsuitable.

On the subject of road service licences, Mr. Dravers said that appeal decisions before the war established that an operator, if authorized to operate a fantail tour, could run one local excursion at the destination, or two local excursions if he owned an hotel. These restrictions did not apply to a tour that resembled a land cruise.

Why the Objections ?

Since the war there had been a tendency for certain Licensing Autherities to make decisions that were directly contrary to the tenor of prewar apptals. apparently because conditions had changed.

"If the Licensing Authority in the

primary area is satisfied that a tour should be granted," said Mr. Dravers, " it is strange that operators in a backing area should object to, and the Licensing Authority should deny, the normal expansion of this business on the ground apparently that saturation point has been reached and that local operators should have the benefit of all such extra traffic in the future.

It has long been customary for touring companies to provide on a fantail tour one or more additional excursions for their passengers by hiring a local excursion operator. It would be interesting to know how often since the war those excursions have been carried out by the local operator's vehicle and how often by the extended tour operator on hire.'

"In the latter case, it is not uncommon for a greater amount of money to pass to the local man for the use of his licence than to the tour operator for the use of his coach, and _it sometimes crosses my mind that these objectdons in the traffic courts may be due less to a genuine conviction on the part of local operators in the righteousness of their cause, than to an anxiety to enlarge a source which brings in appreciable revenue."

Tours Restricted to Dates

Another post-war tendency on the part of one or two 'Licensing Authorities was to permit the running of tours only on the dates proposed by the operator in his programme for the year, and to define the maximum number of vehicles on each tour and date. This system, said Mr. Dravers, was likely to reduce the tour operator's flexibility and would be detrimental to the natural growth of his business.

Many inquiries were received from the public and agents for special tours, and a separate application would be necessary in every instance where the tour did not come within the category of contract work.

Mr. Dravers also criticized the regu-. lation that forbade a public-servicevehicle driver to speak to his passengers while the vehicle was in motion, unless it was necessary to do so on the ground of safety. This regulation had been interpreted by certifying officers to apply to cases in which a microphone was used by drivers to describe points of interest on tours. Mr. Dravers declared that there could be no greater danger in a coach driver's speaking into a microphone than in a car driver's talking to his passengers.

The speaker described the procedure applying to Continental tours. He said that Continental hotels were infinitely more pleased to welcome touring parties than British hotels, and less difficulty should be experienced in finding suitable accommodation.

The cost of each passenger's hotel accommodation and meals abroad must be agreed through the operator's bank with the Bank of England, and this amount had to be claimed in respect of every passenger to give the operator the fOreign cturrency with whiCh to settle overseas accounts.

Mr. Dravers strongly recommended that the operator should attend to currency formalities on behalf of the customer, who should be told how to complete the necessary forms and be asked to return them with his passport and cheque for the balance of fare, foreign currency, bank charges and other items.

Simple Formalities

The only other formalities were the documentation of the coach for the cross-Channel journey, insurance of the vehicle for marine risks and foreign travel, and compliance with the foreign Government's regulations dealing with touring parties. Mr. Dravers also gave delegates to the Conference the benefit of experi• ments made by his company. He said that some years ago Sheffield United Tours, Ltd., tried the experiment of fitting two seats on one side of the gangway and one on the other, to increase comfort, but after a few seasons the practice had to be abandoned, because of the difficulty of disposing of single seats.

To test the reaction of passengers, the company last year issued a questionnaire in which every person was asked specifically whether he or she woul0 prefer morning coffee and afternoon tea to be included in the itinerary and added to the fare. The result showed a 31-to-1 majority in favour of "pay as you drink."


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