MOTOR COACH DOINGS AND DEVELOPMENTS.
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Matters of Topical Interest to Proprietors of Chars-a-bancs:
2,500 Passengers a Day.
The Service of the Motor Coach to the Seaside Resort.
N connection with our personal awes tigation of motor coach services in different, parts of the country, we paid,
iew weeks. ago, a visit to Southport, and our visit was purposely timed to enable observations to be made on the effect of the railway 'excursions on local motor coach traffic. So far from there being any evidences of a slump in bookings, trade was found to be in a particu-. larly robust ondition, and, at the various garages in the town, and on the public stands, just over 70 outeide vehicles were counted.
In a series of interviews with owners and garage proprietors., the number of outside vehicles that visited the town daily was variously estimated at from 100, a figure upon which there was the most agreement, to 150. Most of them were 28 seaters, the others having a
capacity up to 32, and a few down to M. Taking an average of 25 passengers per 'vehicle—and it is exceptional for them not to be fully loaded-2,500 passengers, on quite a modest computation, enter and leave Southport, daily, or 17,500 in a week.
Blackpool is, of course, the favourite Lancashire watering place, and the figures we have been able to collect from Southport are merely the reflection of the immense popularity of the motor coach in the inland manufacturing towns.
Motor coaches come to Southport from all places within a radius of .50 or 60 miles—two were noticed from Huddersfield, in Yorkshire—and the favourite run from Southport is to Blackpool. The railway companies have been running an excursion train from Southport to Blackpool for 4s. 6d. return. The motor coach fare from Southport is 9a., and from Blackpool to Southport, we learnt, a few coppers MODEL
Although there was no unanimity in the opinion that the effect of the railway excursions would not be detrimental to the motor coach, no immediate results were noticeable. One garage proprietor informed us that he had been told that the owners of a big fleet operating from. Lancashire, on ope of the excursion days c30
did not have a single coach out. This, obviomely, is not evidence ; it is the kind of incident that usually passes on from mouth to mouth and causes fears , where there should be courage. Psychologically, such talk has a most damaging effect on trade, tending to discourage enterprise and creating a pessimistic outlook when just the, opposite is needed.
The, incident is recorded enerely to draw attention to the dangers of an incorrect perception of a given fact. Motor coach owners cannot do better at the present juncture than fellow the railway excursion train time-tables—we have done so and kno'w how wretchedly incon
venient they are in the Lancashire district—and to plan outings that shall
really suit the public. The railway arrangements are designed to accommodate the exigencies of railway traffic—without much regard to public convenience.
In Southport; there aro about 40 registered Motor coaches—two being 14 seaters, two 20 seaters, and the
remainder 28 seaters. The local authority will not, licence vehicles beyond this capacity, and are rather strict on the observance ofthe regulation governing the length of coach behinds the rear axle —it is believed that 7 ft. is the limit. Nothing distinctive wits observed in the coach designs, and when we asked a body builder what was the trend of new designs, he seemed rather at a loss to know what to fay. A few bodies we observed under. construction were of -the common or standard type, but there is a decided preference for 28 seaters. •
Where the vehicles are employed on day trips, no special accommodation is made for the storage of luggage, beyond a. space uneterneath Each of the seats— also convenient for getting one's feet out of the way—and the provision of clothes rails on the backs of the seats immediately in front. Visiting one garage where there were about 30 cars from a great variety of towns, we noticed that some of them reserved the tack seating space of the car for passengers' belongings.
Fares are all in the favour of paesengers, for, whilst led. per mile seems to be commonly recognized, some proprietors drew attention to the absurd cutting of rates that had been taking place. At 1e.d. per mile no motor coach pro
prietor can be accused of profiteering, when railway rates work out at led. for the same distance.
The favourite tours from Southport, are to Blackpool, Blied, Whalley, Buxton, Delamere Forest, Windermere, Knutsford. • To put fares in their true perspective we give the following comparisons with Liverpool motor ouch faree and the railwaysSouthport is 20 miles from Liverpool, the return motor coach fare being 63. from that city. The train 'fare, Liverpool to Southport, is 4a. 5d. return
Two of the Southport companies arrange long-distance tours. During the season Messrs. J. Barrington (Southport), Ltd., every Monday have a twoday tour to Barmouth via Liverpool, Runcorn, Frodshara, Chester, Wrexham, Ruabon, Llangollen Corwen, Bala, and Dolgelley ; returning via Harlech. Trerna'doe, Betters Gannon, Cernareon, Bangor' Conway, Colwyn Bay, Rhuddlan, S. Asaph, Mold, Queen's Ferry, Birkenhead—es total of 275 miles for £2 2s. The Premier Co. run an eight-day tour to London, Brighton, and Bournemouth for an inclusive fare of 12 guineas, inchiding first-class hotel accommodation covering late dinner, bed and breakfast. The minimum booking is 2/3, and passengers are each permitted to take a small suit case only
Other companies, believing there is a good opening for long tours for five or seven days, contemplate, making arrangements for parties of 28, but have had difficulty in finding suitable hotel accommodation.
"What is the outstanding feature of the Southport char-e-bancs service?" we asked a representative of one of the leading Southport firms. " Without a doubt," he said, "it is the civility and courtesy of our drivers. Taken on the whole, I do not believe you could find a finer body of men anywhere."
The attitude of the authorities to the eliareeebancs is described as "very tolerant," and, while they de not approve the loading and unloading of these vehicles in public streets, the promenade is quite convenient to everybody'. In a nutshell, the policy of the Southport proprietors can be best expressed in the words of one of them "To develop and to cultivate a public taste for travelling by road, by eliminating those tendencies to bring the motor coach into disrepute, and stimulating, in every way possible, anything which will tend to the uellifting and permanence of the road services. There is only one Method of doing this, and that is by using every influence to maintain. first-elms connections, with the best coaches, drivers, and service generally."