The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1929. TRAMWAY FARES.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 257, 30 October 1929, Page 6

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1929. TRAMWAY FARES.

For the eause that lacks assistance, For the wrong that needs resistonoi, For the future in the distance, And the good that toe can do.

Speaking in May last on the accounts for the past year, which showed a small net profit, the chairman of the Transport Board said that the undertaking was back on a profifcmaking basis and that with the loan authority recently obtained there should be no difficulty in rapidly overtaking the leeway of the past few years. Less than six months after this the Board, faced with an estimated loss on the current year of £22,000, raises the fares by increasing concession card prices. It was stated in August that increased expenditure on renewals on account of unemployment had upset calculations by £10,000, but nothing seems to have been said about this yesterday. The adverse movement in the Board's finances is attributed to the increase in the number of privately owned cars, the low fares charged by taxis, the development of suburban shopping areas, and the effect of unemployment on travel. Of these influences the multiplication of motor cars and the reduction of tax; fares are the most obvious to the public eye. The private car is the greatest enemy of the tram and the bus, and if the public can travel in parties by taxi for no more or little more than they pay in the trams they will naturally use the quicker and mote comfortable vehicle.

The Board must budget to remove this deficit, and the question is whether it is budgeting in the right way. It is increasing the price of concession cards, and in return is allowing more than one passenger to travel on a card. In the circumstances the public will not be very grateful for the removal of this unjustified restriction. Insufficient information is vouchsafed about the state of affairs that has made this increase. lK.essary. Tram and bus figures are lumped together, though it is well known that they are very different in results. Mr. Allujn stated in May that this year the remainder of the value of the buses acquired under the Act of 1926, £973.5, would be written olf. This should be borne in mind in considering his remark about costly bus services. The public, which' is now asked to find £34,000 in fares —nearly all of which will be paid on the trams —should be given more •information about the two branches of the service, and also about expenses. If these increases arc not; sufficient to meet the deficit —and they will certainly encourage the public to make more use of private cars and taxis —then the ilat rate may win more favour. The Board may also have to consider seriously giving private enterprise more scope in bus services. It may even have to go so far as to revise its programme about tram extensions.