PENNY FARES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 32, 7 February 1934, Page 10

PENNY FARES.

QUEEN STREET SECTION

AVERAGE UNDER TWO PER TRIP.

A motion by Mr. R. G. Clark, at the meeting of the Transport Board yesterday, to have penny tram fares reinstated between the G.P.O. and Wellesley Street, was defeated. Mr. Clark contended that the original intention was to give the concession a trial for three months, and that it should not have been cancelled at the expiration of six weeks, without the board, being called together. He said he did not . think it had been given the trial warranted, and he moved that it be reinstated 1 for the balance of the three months. Mr. E. H. Potter, in seconding the motion, said the report of the manager showed no actual figures of loss on the penny fare in Queen Street. The people had made good use of the concession and appreciated the convenience it afforded. The chairman, Mr. J. A. C. Allum, said the same experiment was made in 1928, but on that occasion for a year. The result was the same as the experiment during the recent holiday period, I and was not encouraging. Mr.. G. R. Hutchinson said he had interviewed business people in Queen Street, and in not one instance was he informed that the penny fare in Queen Street had been of benefit to a shopkeeper. Mr. F. N. Bartram said he could not see why the penny fares in Queen Street should be continued when the returns showed that- the tickets sold did not average two per trip, Mr. Clark's motion was defeated, only the mover and Messrs. Potter and Nagle voting in favour.