BUSES AND TRAMS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 251, 22 October 1926, Page 5

BUSES AND TRAMS.

TO AVOID DUPLICATION.

CITY COUNCIL ARRANGEMENT,

ADEQUATE FEEDER SERVICES.

Onlr nine days remain before tfl* Jlotor Omnibus Traffic Act will come into operation in Auckland, but any changes in the bus services that will be ma de° under the Act will be carefully planned in order not to inconvenience the public. The most important change that will take place is that in connection w ith the Onehunga service. The bases - the fleet total 2S, and from Wednesday next the Royal Motor Bus Comnanrs plant and buses will be taken ireer and controlled by the City Council. Under the new arrangement it is not to be expected that the buses will run alone the tram routes, as the City Council proposes, in order to economise administration as much as possible, to handle traffic with the trams, augmented by feeder buses to Jlangere and other districts lying beyond the tram termini. Subsidiary services will be continued to Campbell Road. Ellerslie, Pannmre. and Brighton Road. The Te Papapa service will be discontinued, because another bus owner is now operating on this run. In all.cases where the council continues the bus services they will be run as feeder services. Fares will be changed as little as possible, and with a view to meeting the convenience of passengers who use both feeder bus and tram when journeying to and from the >-;ty, there will not ■be" an additional charge of one penny irhich now applies to the first section of each tram ride.

. Making Ready. To avoid any interruption in the services which the Royal Motor Bus Company is carrying on until midnight on Tuesday, the inspection of the fleet was hegun immediately the notice was given to the council last Tuesday. A valuation of the buses is being made by the council's officers and the drivers are being put through an examination. Where repairs are necessary these are being made, and the council promises that no hitch -will be caused by the change over. The- position in regard to the bus services operating along other tram routes, such as Mount Eden, Dominion Road, and Grey Lynn to Point Chevalier is that formal notice has been given to

the council requiring the municipality to take over the buses. No notice of any intention to cease running has been given by the owners, and the necessary steps that -will have to ha taken to meet the conditions under the new Act remain to be decided. Meantime, valuations of the buses are in progress as opportunity offers without causing any interference with the services. Growth of the Fleets.

The Mount Eden Motor Bus Company began operations in October. 1925, with four buses on the road. It has since built up its fleet to eleven buses and has extended its services to New Lynn, Glen

Eden, Avondale, Blockhouse Bay and Hfindetson. For the purpose of this ""extensien, of course," a large fleet of buses was needed and early in the year the Mount Eden Company absorbed the General Omnibus Company (G.0.C.) and several private owners on that road. Over 25 buses are now running in the northern services. The Mount Eden buses run to Boundary Road and to Mount Albert Road. Ever? alternate bus continues to the Three Kings, and at intervals of an hour and a-half a bus rune to Hillsboro' and Waikowhai, with certain changes to meet the conditions at rush hours. If these buses are taken over by the council they will be used as feeders to the trams and will connect at the Mount Eden terminus. At peak periods, the Mayor stated this morning, that an occasional bus may run through from Mount Albert Road to the city. Ten buses are running in the Dominion Road service, which is operated by Messrs. Peat and Mulligan. The changes to be made here will be arranged as far as poreible to avoid duplication of the traffic. The desire of the tramways is to eater for the public by an adequate triun and a feeder bus servic2 to meet all demands.

Point Cacvalier. On the Point Chevalier ruu a rteet of about eight buses is operated by Gallaghers and the Eeliance Bus Co. The buses of the firet-named owner are also run to Richmond Road, where, as is the case at Point Chevalier, privately owned and Corporation buses are in com-, petition with one another. Because of J this th» position in regard to the Point! Chevalier service fs a matter for special consideration. X.w buses will continue to run througn to the city until a decision is made. 'i he buses from St. Stephens Avenue will also ran through to the city as at present. A change was recently made in Parnell when Mr. John Cqllett, who had been running a service to St Stephen's Avenue and Gladstone Road, transferred his operations to Bucklande Beach-City service. Before his ■withdrawal two private owners started carrying passengers between Parnell and the city.

FARES IN WELLINGTON. MINIMUM OF THREEPENCE. (Bj Telegraph.—Special to "Star/l WELLINGTON, this day. Now that the Wellington City Council has a monopoly of the bus services along the city routes, a decision reached by it last night is interesting.

The council decided, on the recommendation of the Tramways Committee, that a minimum fare of threepence be charged on all buses operating along the tram routes.

The universal tramway concession now in use on the Lyall Bay and Melrose bus route is to be withdrawn. A ipecial twelve-trip concession ticket •will he provided at a cost of 4/ on the Melrose-Post Office bus service.

These decisions become effective on STovember 1.