PASSENGER TRAVEL NEWS.
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The Latest Doings and Developments in the Bus and Coach World.
MOTOR COACHING TO RACE MEETINGS.
A Yorkshire Event which has Increased in Popularity Since the Advent oi the Passenger Road Motor Vehicle.
A NY doubts as to the future of motor ,ticoaching in the West Riding of Yorkshire were dispelled by the auslaidoes opening which the season received at Easter. Scarcely a coach was seen out before Good Friday, but during the holiday period there was a revival of many of the scenes witnessed during the boom period of a year or two ago. The fine weather at Easter gave a promising rend-off to the season, and although the weather has been changeable since the holiday there has been a greater demand for coaching runs than was anticipated a few weeks ago.
Provided conditions are suitable for outdoor enjoyment, there is certain to be a revival in the motor coaching trade this year, for people will find the money to pay reasonable fares even with trade in some quarters only showing a slight tendency to pick up.
Throughout the West Riding coach fares for the season will remain on the same basis as last year, but it is fairly clear that the standard fare will be the minimum now, and less inclination is likely to be shown for cut prices. The industry is on a more stable basis than it has been before, and the lesson has been learnt that it is unprofitable to run coaches at nnrenrunerative rates, and it Supported by the fact that these owners who have maintained fair prices have been able to survive the period of the slump. The number of coaches on the road, or ready to be put into service will probably be slightly lees than last year, owing to the fact that certain owners have withdrawn from the movement, although one or two new companies are putting vehicles into use.
In the case of the coaches seen on the road so far this season, it
is quite clear that very few largecapacity coaches are being bought today. There was, in fact, a very small percentage of new coaches in service at Easter. There were many indications of refurbishing and general overhauling, but the newer vehicles were in almost every case of the saloon type, suitable for bus work, rather than for ordinary road touring,
The small coach, seating up to 22 passengers, is rapidly ousting other types from favour, although the large 28-seater coach still bolds its own by virtue of the number of such vehicles put into use in the early years after the war. Pneumatic tyres are steadily gaining favour for use on small coaches, but those. of the cushion pattern are still very popular. The lighter types of vehicle now in use are not by any means confined to the cheaper makes, and the British chassis of this class appears to be growing in popularity, probably on account of its wearing qualities and its low cost of upkeep, as compared with the cheap vehicle of American manufacture.
All classes of coaching runs were well patronized over the Easter, although the great holiday event in Yorkshire was Wetherby Races on Easter Monday, and for this popular event it is estimated that a crowd of 40,000 people assembled.
Coach traffic soon made itself evident on the way to Wetherby and three hours before racing was timed to commence there was an unbroken procession of vehicles on the roads approaching the town, especially front the direction of Leeds and Bradford. There was a big influx of passenger-vehicles from York and Harrogate, but the bulk of the traffic converged from Bradford and Leeds, the streams flora these places including, of course, the traffic from farther afield.
Halifax, Huddersfield, Wakefield, Rotherham, Keighley and all the intermediate places of lesser importance sent coaches, and there was a congregation of two or three hundred vehicles in the motor coach park provided at the course. The streets of Wetherby are narrow and full of awkward turns, and there were many difficulties in controlling the traffic, the greatest being caused by the faster vehicles attempting to cut in and so obtain a, more favourable position, A large number of drivers parked the coaches in their charge in the Market Square at Wetherby, but this procedure resulted in passengers being asked to walk a distance of over a mile to the racecourse, and the greater number of them used the parking enclosure at the course, which was ETecially set apart for coaches. Private cars and coaches were separated on arrival at the course, and drivers of coaches were charged a sum of 5s. for the use of the park, this payment including admission to the course for the driver. The passengers arriving by coach were discharged in the motor coach park and admitted to the course at special turnstiles, whilst private cars were admitted to another parking site.
The police in charge of the traffic arrangements estimated the number of motor vehicles at the races at 9,000. The. last race was run at 5.15 p.m., and of course, occupied but a few minutes, after which touring cars commenced to leave immediately, but not a single vehicle got away from the meter coach park until 6.45 p.m.
The preparations made for dealing with coach traffic were very satisfactory in most directions and a well-made road which had been carried the full length of the coach park was covered with limestone for some distance to Waist the
movements of the vehicles. •
• The race-meeting officials realize the value of motor coaches for bringing racegoers to the course, and it is their in
tention to encourage the use of such vehicles, and probably in the future improvements will be made in the arrangements for dealing with road traffic. They were frankly surprised at the volume of motor coach traffic, and it is a significant fact that the tickets of admission for coach drivers gave out before all the coaches had arrived.
As a holiday event the Wetherby meeting has risen very considerably in importance in recent years, and in not a small degree this success is due to the encouragement which has been given to motor traffic. The officials have foreseen the advantage of the passenger motor vehicle over the crowded race train, and they have accordingly done all in their power by advertisement and the improvement of the accommodation to encourage motor coaches.