MT. EDEN TRAM ROUTE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 139, 14 June 1932, Page 9

MT. EDEN TRAM ROUTE.

THE SECOND SECTION

EXTENSION sought.

DEPUTATION TO BOARD

A. request that the second scction on the Mount Eden tram route should be extended from Prospect Rise to Stokes Road was made to the Auckland Tiansport Board by a lstrge deputation this morning. After hearing the deputation the board referred the request to the committee of the whole board.^ In introducing the deputation. Mr. W. H. Nagle said that the deputation represented the Mount Eden Council and the ratepayers of the borough. "We know that our suggestion is not a new one and, iu fact, that it is somethin" in the nature of a hardy annual," said" Mr. F. L. Rendell, who acted', as spokesman. The felt, however, that they were justified in again bringing the matter before the board. The present second section served no great centre of population, but if it was extended to Stokes Road it would tap an important shopping area, and a large residential area. The extension asked for amounted to approximately one-fifth of a mile. As the board had recently increased the cost of concession cards it might favourably consider the deputation s request. It was admitted that the length of sections on the Mount Eden route compared favourably with that on any other line. Benefit to Students. The benefit that students at the Auckland Training College would derive if the proposed extension was made was stressed by Mr. D. Rae, principal of tnc college. The number of students interested, he said, was 350, and the extension would also be a convenience to the many other people -who visited college. At the present *-ime the students could not afford to travel over the section. A playing area near the college had recently been opened by the City Council, and an extension of the section would be a boon to the girls who would go there for basketball matches. Mr. G. Grey Campbell asked the deputation if it could guarantee that there would be no other requests for extensions. Mr. Reiidall replied that naturally he was not able to give such an assurance. Fear of Other Requests. The chairman of the board, Mr. J. A. C. Allum, said that the board would immediately be faced with a request for an extension of the third section. The suggested alteration would mean that the length of the third scction would be .88 of a mile, as compared with 1.55 miles for the first section and 1.25 miles for tjie second. He would admit that the present general arrangement of tram stops was not satisfactory, bi:c the board had had nothing to do with the fixing of the sections. The Mount Eden route was certainly at no disadvantage as compared with other lines. After the deputation had retired, a petition in support of the request was handed in. The manager was instructed to report on the estimated effect the proposed change would have on the board's revenue.