MOTOR COACH DOINGS AND DEVELOPMENTS.
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Matters of Topical Interest to Proprietors of Chars-a-Bancs.
Evening Trips by Chars-a-bancs.
For Health and Enjoyment these Trips Easily Outrival the Cinema.
TN MANY parts of the North of 1 England so popular has. char-a-bancs travelling become that, it is entering into -direct competition aiitIi the cinema and the music-hall. Within easy distance of many West Riding towns there are some pretty spots which are scarcely distant enough to provide a paying journey for a day, or even a half-day, trip, but to which a sun but in the .evenhig provides an attractive proposition for proprietor and passenger. About an hour and a half is allowed for sight seeing, and this, with a pleasant run out and home, provides an evening's enjoyment which has fascinations equal to those of the cinema.
Seven o'clock is a convenient time to start these excursions, and in this way the motor coach &teals a march on some of the other amusement caterers. It is a conspicuous olaject in the streets at the time "the pictures" and the music, halls are al:Knit to commence—they start earlier in the provinces than in London— and on fine evenings it is an easy matter to tempt amusement seekers to stay in the open air rates' than enter a stuffy theatre. Ilkley, Wharfedale, Bolton Abbey, and Grasaingtian are within reach of Bradford, and what could be more attractive than an evening trip through • some of the prettiest scenery in Vhe country, with the san setting over the purple heather-clad moorland, and this at the same price as a seat at a picture
house.
In conversation with the manager of a motor-coach concern which runs evening excursions regularly, the value • of these trips for securing customers for 'longer
• outings was emphasized. The 'sum to be expended in.an evening trip.• amounts to but a few shillings, but, hi almost every case, a short trip whets the appetite for a longer one. In many cases the evening tripper gets the "chars habit," and becomes :a regular patron.
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The secret of success in this form of enterprise is to catch the public just at the right moment. To decide on an expensive trip, coating a large amount of money, requires some consideration, but the spending of a few shillings is a much less important matter, and the, customer can be caught on the spur of the moment. An advertisement in an evening paper, which is read on the way home, or a •telling announcement on a placard in a position to catch the passing crowd, should be tried, but the most important point is in having a stand in a suitable position, where the attentien of likely passengers will be attracted, Punctuality in starting should he adhered to, and it will be found advisable that the return should not be made at too late 'an hour. A definite time for leaving on the return journey should be fixed also, and passengers should be given to understand quite' clearly that if they are late they cannot eacpect the coach to wait. A few minutes' grace might be allowed, but it 16 unfair to the majority of the passengers that they ahould be kept waiting while two or three thoughtless ones continue their
enjoyment. If it is painted out that the driver does not accept any responsibility if his instructions are not .adhered to, passengers will not be eager to stay the extra few minutes when they have before them the posaihility of having to-remain overnight httheir own expense, or of paying railway fare home.
The Hood Problem.
The Need for an Improved Method of Protecting Passengers from Rain.
There is scope for invention in the weather-proofing of the motor char-flbanes. The 40-seater vehicle is tco b g to cover with a hood of conventkaial`
design. As these • illustrations show, putting up the ordinary' type of hool is a tremendous task. When these photo:. graphs were taken, about seven _nien were struggling with the hood in gutstion., Once up, it formed an. excellent protection from the weather, but the putting of it upwas a laborious task. What is the result?
The raising of the hood is postponed for as long as possible. When it commences to rain the driver carries On as long as he possibly can in the hope that, it will cease an that the inevitable struggle with the hood Will be averted. 'Meanwhile, the .passengers are getting wet. Generally the rain doss not cease; it comes 'down still more heavily, and then in a drenching downpour, already half wet through, the passengers have to descend into the read. Those of them who do not lend a hand in putting no the hood just stand there and get. wetter still. Than the journey is continued with wet clothes and damped ardour, and the cause of char-a-banes travel has received almost as great„ a. setback as even the opposition of a million-sale daily can give it.
• What is to be tha sok-titian of the problem? The most obvious way of overcoming the -difficulty, seems to be same type of fixed top.
Is Touting an Offence ?
No matter to what seaside resort one goes, the char-iebancs holds out alluring prospects to busy sightseers wanting to ' do a lot in a short time. Wherever one goes in Blackpool it is impossible to overlook the scores of advertising boards of the local owners. At Southport, the coach proprietors go one further, and indulge in personal solicitation of custom. And the question here arises: "Is touting an offence?"
One of the Southport proprietors, whose method of doing business was to ask people walking up and down the promenade to go for a drive was summonad for causing an obstruction. The defendant denied that any annoyance or obstruction was caused. The Chief Constable said that "touting " in itself was an 'offence if it was persistent. Nevertheless the case was dismissed.
For many years, in fact ever since we can remember, it has been the custom for carriage proprietors to solicit bookings from passing visitors with impunity from police interference. Why should a start be now made upon the motor coach owner?
Improved Bodies on Midland Buses.
As if in accord with Birmingham's motto "Forward," the Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Co. Led., whose headquarters are situated in that city, are continually extending their spheres of activity and introducing improvements in the design of their vehicles.
Their latest move, in. this latter direction consists of an entirely new design of body, which is now fitted to quite a considerable portion of their large fleet of nearly 310 passenger vehicle's, and which marks a distinct advance in single-decker design.
As depicted in the illustrations on this page, the new body is somewhat similar in general appearance to the already familiar Red buses, and follows in principles the earlier type, but in the way of refinements, of seating capacity, ani lastly, but by no means least, in weight, the two types cannot be compared.
Dealing with the last-named point first, it came as a surprise to us to learn that two so. nearly similar bodies could differ 80 greatly, but it is true that in spite of the fact that the new type has
a capacity for seating four more passengers than, its predecessor, its weight is 13 cwt. less than the old body. It should be quite clearly understood, however, that this desirable end, which will undoubtedly very favourably affect petrol consemption and tyre wear, has not been attained by reducing weights to within doubtful limits, but by clever design and the use of the most suitable materials.
As mentioned above, the seating capacity has been increased by the addition of an extra sow of seats in the rear or smoking compartment, bringing the total now to 32 for vehicles in ordinary use. Inktases whero private parties charter anus for a workessonting or similar occasion an additional seven passengers can be seated on the extra detacheble seats shown in one of the illustrations in position down the centre gangway. The new body is, as before, provided with front entrance, but the emergency rear exit is retained.
It is at once apparent from one of the illustrations that the roof is cambered to a much greater degree, resulting in more headroom for strap-hangers down the centre without increasing the height of the sides of the body. Drop-down. windows are fitted, and permanent venti
lation is provided by two roof ventilators initead of the small side ventilators formerly fitted over the windows, and a healthy atmosphere inside the vehicle is now assured without draught.
The remaining features, such as interior electric lighting etc. are as before, and the tout ensemble" will undoubtedly do much still further to popularize the Red bus with Midland business people and pleasure seekers.
Damage to Roads. . .
At a meeting of the lancolnstare Farmers'. Union, held at Lincoln on Friday, a notice was received from the Gaineborough!branch drawing attention to the excessive damage caused to highways by chars--baries and motor tarries.
Mr. Willows said that traffic passed through the Gaineborough district from Sheffield and the North Riding of Yorkshire to the Lincolnshire coast resorts. These chars-aJbance cut up the roads fearfully, and these had to be repaired, to a large extent, at the expense of the ratepayers. On behalf of his branch, he moved thatrepreseneations be made to the Missistry of Tranepont, protesting against such use of the roads, which had to be repaired by farmers.