Duplication Limits Cripple Bookings
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DDISAPPOINTING weather did not the Bank Holiday exodus by coach from London to the extent that might have been anticipated, as most of the available seats were already fully booked up weeks ahead.
Traffic figures at both Victoria Coach Station and at King's Cross Coach Station, London, are estimated to be equal to those of last year's record Bank Holiday, whilst the big London independent seasonal operators certainly had little of which to complain. Geo. Ewer and Co., Ltd., had 120 coaches on service on the Saturday.
Characteristic of this year's bookings, so far as is known up to the present, is the serious drop in day returns and a corresponding rise in period returns and, 'strangely enough, in longdistance travel. The decline has been caused by the bad weather. It did not affect the Bank Holiday earnings, which have reached saturation point under the present restrictions. But it considerably lowered July takings, and on August Monday sent many day trippers by rail, because no more seats were to be had by coach.
As a result of duplication limitations, ail bookings on the 10 p.m. coach from London to Bradford on July 31 had to be closed on May 14. The Scottish Motor Traction Co., Ltd., also. had to close weeks ago bookings for Scotland, whilst bookings for the 9 a.m. Birmingham-Scarborough service on August 1 had to be refused on March 21!
Incidentally, it is reported that officials representing the Traffic Commissioners were particularly busy at the leading coach stations over the Bank Holiday week-end, inquiring into the number of duplicate coaches being operated and watching the observance of licence conditions.