CORRESPONDENCE

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 93, 21 April 1933, Page 6

CORRESPONDENCE

HARBOUR FERRY SERVICE

(To the Editor.) Sir,—l crave the use o£ your columns to protest against the inadequate arrangements made on Monday to deal with the crowds travelling to and from Boua Bay and Day's Bay. The gala had been extensively advertised, fares had been .reduced, and when a fine day arrived the "skeleton" service which was run showed, to bo generous, very poor judgment on the part of those in control of the ferry service. But in the evening, poor judgment cannot be tendered aB an excuse. Accurate information o£ the morning numbers made it apparent that the advertised trips could not possibly cope with the crowd. ■ That no return trip was scheduled betiveen 3;30 p.m. and 5.10 p.m. was ridiculous/but when the,crowd could be- seen assembled on Eona Bay wharf from 4.30 p.m., and when the Cobar was available at Day's Bay all the time, and when, in addition, the crowd was permitted to wait ■'. and' further enlarge until 5.40 (30 minutes late), then it is time someone in authority took action of a drastic nature.' It is true that the Cobar did follow the Muritai and carry the; many who were left behind, but why in the name of common-sense did she not sail before hand and so avoid the congestion? That there was no accident on the Eona Bay wharf was due rather to good luck than good management. As it was, women and children screamed and. in two or three cases I saw women narrowly avoid being seterely squashed against the gangway. One can sympathise with the-coun-cil's desire to.keep its overhead as low as .possible, that is, to rim as few trips as possible, but firstly, the travelling public is surely entitled to some consideration and comfort; and secondly, it was a very poor advertisement for its services and must be reflected in the reluctance of people to risk a repetition of the discomforts on future picnic occasions.—l am, etc., ■".,-. DISGUSTED. [On inquiry being made, it was admitted that there was some delay at Eona Bay in getting the large, crowds back again in the evening, but the authorities consider that the. service provided was adequate for the conditions prevailing.]