Popular Road Services at Carlisle.
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THE motor coach offices, station and waiting-room at 3, 5 and 7, Lowther Street, Carlisle, are a busy Centre all the week and a hive of considerable activity on Saturdays and holidays. From here run the motorbuses and coaches placed at the convenience.of the public by B. Percival, Ltd., whose experience of road problems goes back a generation or two.
A representative of The Commercial Motor had a chat with Mr. R. Percival the other day, and hedold us that his lather was one of the hest-known Cumberlancl haulage contractors,and that -when the present passenger-carrying business was established five years ago he went, thoroughly into the matter of providing for the collection of parcels and the conveyance of passengers.
R. Percival, Ltd., have 33 motor coaches and motorbuses in their services. All the vehicles are Leylands, fitted with Dunlop pneumatic tyres; in fact, the company claim to be pioneers of the large-size pneumatic tyre for coachwork in the noriltarn counties, and to have one of the most modern fleets in B36 the area. They have branch offices at Brampton and Longtown—the last town before Scotland ls reached—and at, Annan add 'Dumfries, Parcels are daily despatched for the tradesmen of Carlisle for delivery at these branches, and the services have been of great value to the businesscorniuunity, The daily motorbus services include one from Brampton to Carlisle via. Warwick Bridge and Bolcherby, and another service covers a route via Crosby Inthington, Walton and LaVersdale to the same points, maintaining a punctuality that has become the recogtized standard time for the area. Business men can set their watches by the Percival motorbuses.
In the touring department of the company 14 32 and 40-seater vehicles are engaged, their use being determined by the character of the high-roads and the by-roads traversed on the tours. A range of some 40 tours has been given this season, including a six-day tour covering English and Welsh resorts so far south as Bridgwater and Ilfracombe, and returning., via Barnstaple, Bath,
Lichfield, Harrogate and Barnard Castle. Another popular run extends to London and Bournemouth, whilst the Yorkshire Moors, the Lake District, the Scottish Trossachs, the Scott country, the Burns country and other delightful trips for a day or two also figure in the programme which has been adhered to this season.
; Mr. Percival gives his personal attention to the organization of this really comprehensive road service. The wait• ing-room and station are designed on railway lines, and the interior arrangement g.).f the office has a touch of the railway service about it. The season this year has been fitful owing to the uncertainty of the weather, but the variety and number of private parties catered for prove the popularity' of road touring; for the reason, as Mr. Percival explains, that the pleasure begins so soon ass the tour starts without the tiring, fatigue of a train journey to get to the destination. The company run a number of special tours by motor coach in addition to those listed on the ordinary programme.