NEW RAILWAY BRANCH.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 233, 2 October 1929, Page 9

NEW RAILWAY BRANCH.

RUNNING BUS SERVICES.

ICES OF £9327 LAST YEAR

MANAGER GIVES REASONS

The Railway Department runs road motor services'" between Wellington and the Hutt Valley, Napier and Hastings, Christchurch and Midland, and Oamaru and Takarahi. Last year the buses on these routes carried 2,919,005 passengers. By far tho most important is the Hutt Valley service, which was used by 2,330,(551 passengers. It is revealed in the annual railways statement that the loss on these services was £9327 last year. This loss, the general manager reports, was due principally to tho fact that the buses taken over from the private owners have '•'arrived at the stage where maintenance has become a very considerable item," and many are obsolete. Other factors were the motor regulations, the necessity of "writing off" the amount paid the private owners for goodwill, which is being written off, and the petrol tax.

Against the loss, the general manager estimates that the saving in train services was at least £8300.

The Department is considering the suitability of six-wheeled single-decker and double-decker buses for the Hutt Road service.

In the opinion of the general manager, Mr. 11. H. Sterling, the road motor branch must inevitably grow, t and a bus managers has been appointed to control it.