BIG POSSIBILITIES?

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 77, 31 March 1924, Page 8

BIG POSSIBILITIES?

THE TRACKLESS TRAM. A WELLIXGTOX EXPERIMENT. Very soon now the final work will | be done in lowering the Hutt Road at j the spot where it passes beneath the railway bridge, and the way will be clear for the City Corporation to com-1 mence its experiments with the trackless tram which is to be given a run between Kaiwarra and Thorndon. Nego- [ tiations as to the cost of the experi- , mental vehicle are not yet complete, but | should be at finality at an early date, | and then the tram will commence its : service. It was pointed out to a "New Zealand Times" reporter that the import- j ance of the experiment has not bee ; realised fully by many people. In Eng- j land trackless tramcars, along with I motor omnibuses, have developed to \ such a wonderful extent during the j last few years that tramways cannot hope to maintain tlieir supremacy for | very much longer unless improvements I arc introduced. They have a very j definite place in congested towns where I there is traffic in bulk to be carried,: and should survive another generation. But in a city faced with traffic problems j the sheer impossibility of sending I motors and tramcars along the same street has been recognised, and the acting-city engineer (Mr. A. J. Pater- i son) has on more than one occasion expressed the opinion that in the future i of Wellington this change may have to : come. Formidable Competition. Tn England, it was pointed out, the motor-bus is regarded as a most formidable competitor with the tramway, but more formidable competition is expected to come from the railless vehicle, which has the advantages possessed by both tramcars and motor buses. It is a i bus which is propelled by electricity,! which it gets from overhead wires, is more economical in running expenses than the motor bus, and can hold its own against tramways because no initial expenditure is required for tracks. "Motor manufacturers have long as- ' sorted that tramways are doomed," it was said, "but without much attention being paid to their allegations. Such an opinion as that expressed by Mr. ,T. B. Hamilton, a famous English tramways manager for the Leeds City Corporation, however, lias caused much comment of late. The trackless vehicle has devoted in Leeds to such a degree that Mr. Hamilton is ready to declare that with improved road surfaces- and larger vehicles the day might come when they would be able to do without railears altogether. He realises that this may not be for some considerable time, but the possibility is there. "The Birmingham Corporation tram-; ways," the informant continued, "now has reported in favour of abandoning a tramway extension scheme because of, other vehicles being able to meet the existing needs of the city, while Southend and Croydon Corporations are in-vesti-ating the possibilities of railless traction. "The economy in railless traction is the absence of tlie tramway track. This means that part at least of the cost is met at the expense of the road; and that roads strong enough to maintain the heavy burden of such traffic must j hi chosen for it."