"CUT RATES."

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 117, 19 May 1936, Page 5

"CUT RATES."

TOURIST TRANSPORT. I ' I | SIX CRUISE SHIPS DUE. REDUCTIONS SANCTIONED, i ________ J A decision to permit road motor companies and taxi-car companies to carry out at "cut rates" special tours that might be approved from time to time, by the "proper licensing authority was made at this morning's meeting of the Central Licensing Authority. Mr. J. W. Clarke, Auckland district • manager of the Government Tourist Bureau, asked that companies engaged , to carry cruise ship passengers be exempted from the standard fares fixed by the regulations. These'tourists did not belong to the "luxury class," and, as the tours were of short duration and covered long distances, and did not compete with private tours, reduced fares were desirable for the officially organised trips. Arrangements had been made for six cruise*liners to visit New Zealand. Representatives of all the motor companies concerned were present, and all supported the request. The chairman, Mr. J. A. C. Allum, announced that the necessary additional clause would be embodied in the regulations. The fares from Auckland to any point within the Dominion for tourists from cruise ships | are, in effect, reduced to about twoI pence a mile a passenger. It was also ' decided that children under three years of age be carried free, ad those under i 12 years at half rates. About ten applications for tours throughout the North Island for visitors arriving on cruise ships were received. Mr. Allum remarked that it was gratifying to see such an increasing volume of tourist traffic. The first cruise ship, the Orion, is due about October 28, and, it is expected, will have about 1000 tourists. The liners Strathnaver, Orford, Narkunda and Oronsay will follow at monthly intervals, and there will be a sixth steamer |in March. Of these vessels the Orion, Orford and Narkunda will be making their first visit to New Zealand. 1 A tour of North Auckland has been arranged for the GOO passengers expected on the Xarkunda. The ship will arrive at Auckland on January 2, and the tourists will leave the following evening for North Auckland, and will embark on the Narkunda at Russell on the night of January 4. This will be the first organised tour to North Auckland of cruise ship passengers.