TRANSPORT PROBLEMS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 139, 14 June 1926, Page 6

TRANSPORT PROBLEMS.

Big dues all over the world arc facing problems analogous to those faced by the [ Dominion's chief centres, following upon the sudden growth of motor bus traffic and its competition with other systems of public transport. Kegulatiou of the newcomer has been attempted in various ways, not only with the object of protecting the public, but also with a desire to save the earlier systems from economic ruin. London lias felt the competition very keenly, for whereas in 1014 the number of buses licensed was 3004, towards the end of last year it had grown to 5502, and would have been larger but for the restrictions imposed. Apart from traffic congestion, the diversion of traflic from suburban railway services, the tubes and the tramways had been such as to make these systems unprofitable. The competition was not regarded as fair by economists, because of the entry of several factors which gave the latest arrival undue advantage. For instance. the London tramway owners, like the railways, are under statutory obligations to maintain definite servicee, and during certain defined hours to carry large numbers of workers to and from their business at iinremunerative rates. In addition, the tramways have to maintain a portion of the road surfaces over which they run, their contribution in this reepect at the present time being estimated at £300,000 per annum. The liability of the bus proprietors, on the other hand, is confined to compliance with the police regulations as to safety, and to the annual tax on each vehicle, Until the regulations imposed by the Ministry of Transport came into force they were at liberty to select their route, and the times of their services, thus securing the cream of the traflic, leaving the least profitable to the tram and tube services. To bridge the gap between the conditions as between the tramways and buses, the London and Home Counties Traffic Advieory Committee was set up, and its report was recently presented. The general principle underlying the recommendations of the committee is that eacli form of transport has its appropriate place in the general scheme, but it ie held to be essential that all the services shall be mutually complementary. The chief object aimed at is that each service shall be self-supporting, and at the same time meet the requirements of the travelling public. That it is in no way impossible to make the tramways self-supporting is shown by the fact that up to 1922, when bus competition began to be severe, the great majority of the servicee in the area were making reasonable profits, the publicly-owned undertakings in the year ending March 31, 1922, showing profits of £389,493. It is hardly disputed that the tram is more liable to cause congestion than any other type of vehicle at present using the streets, but on the other hand it has been clearly shown in cases where it is not subject to wasteful competition that, under suitable conditione, it is still much the cheapest form of public service.