AN AMAZING DROP.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 128, 2 June 1927, Page 10

AN AMAZING DROP.

LESS RAILWAY PASSENGERS. DUE TO BUS COMPETITION. TKAINS FOR BUSINESS—BUSES FOE SHOPPING AND EXCURSIONS. (By Telegraph.—Special to "Star.") WELLINGTON, this day. The official returns of railway traffic in 1927 when compared with those of 1921 show a falling off in ordinary passenger of over five millions, while the increase in the number of season tickets in the same period was only 119,479. The appended table shows that fluctuation was downwards rather than upwards s— Ordinary Scnson Passengers. Tickets. I'JIG 14.201.50G 330.622 1»17 14,173,115 ;{.IS,SS-i 1918 11,408.150 vSSS,<IS7 1919 11,374,521 1920 12,760,814 400.0:21 1921 15,315,640 464.«il 1922 14,262,440 47_\HiO 1923 14,256,610 4>*>,">Sl 1!>24 13,836,311 525,744 1925 12,424,012 537,554 " 1926 11,813,480 HOO.Sie 1927 10,182,796 554.170 It will be noted that from 1922 a definite decline in ordinary passenger traffic set in, and, while season tickets gained in popularity each year, the increase, it is known, has not balanced the marked falling off in ordinary paseenger returns. That the decrease is due to competition by buses is considered to be proved by the fact that the chief falling off has been from ehort-distance runs. The average receipt per journey increased from 37.07 d in 1924 to 48.« d in 1927, and it is in the suburbs that the motor 'bus does its business. The policy of the Government • has been to encourage suburban residential settlement by the provision of cheap railway fares and improved time-tables, the success of this policy being based on the expectation that day traffic at ordinary suburban rates would compensate for the exceedingly low fares charged to workers and cheap tickets used by otreo wsrteih dho xz nle used by others who ride to and from business. In actual experience the Department has found that in many instances families of the early morning concession ticket holders patronise the "opposition" for afternoon and shopping excursions.