FINAL REPORT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 135, 9 June 1936, Page 10

FINAL REPORT.

TRANSPORT BOARD. » OPERATIONS REVIEWED., Vj ' '» AIR TRAVEL NEEDS. v r,. ' > (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) . WELLINGTON, Monday. The final annual report of the /Transport Co-ordination Board was presented to Parliament by the Minister of Transport, the Hon. E. Semple, to-day. It is mentioned in the report that the members of the board felt it their duty to submit their annual report before complying with the tequest of the Minister to tender their resignations.

• "With regard to passenger transport, the licensing system has been operating for four yeare," states the report. "The industry has reached a stage of stability and few appeals have been filed against the decisions of licensing authorities. So far.ae the board is aware both passenger ,-tf»neporfc operators and the travelling public have been satisfied with the way in wlieh the system has worked. • **tn nearly all cases that came before the board on appeal the Government •Railways Board was either a party or ■ was represented. The interests of the railways and of road transport clash to a great extent and there is need to deter, mine the respective spheres in which they should operate. Over short distances on good roads it is inevitable that motor transport from door to door must he the cheaper and it has been suggested that a solution of the problem lies in determining over what distances in each case road transport should be allowed to. function in competition with a railway. Each Case on Merits.. "As roads improve, however, and vehicles are jbetter constructed those distances tend to become longer. Certain commodities, however, can be carried more economically by road over very long distances, while railway rates are variable and, in many cases, especially where rail and sea transport are in competition, are extremely low in comparison with the standard railway rate over the same distance. These and other factors tend to complicate the problem and we have tried to decide each ca«« on its own merits because we cannot find a general rule for all."

Referring to the development of air transport, the report states that the foundation of a complete system of air travel has been laid. Four air service routes are now in regular operation, including one main route flown with large machines, and all the aeroplanes used on these services are of modern type. "The board has been impressed," the report continues, "with the necessity for twin or multi-engined machines being used on main routes, or where a regular sea crossing is necessary, and in all cases where the use of a large type of machine is warranted. The aeroplanes used on one of the regular routes ara r.ot of this type, but this case is exceptional, because the population te be served is sparse and scattered, and the use of larger machines would not be practicable.

"The board considers that the safety of air services is not entirely assured without the provision of beam- wireless or some: form of wireless telephony op telegraphy between the aeroplanes and the ground. This is especially the case with main services. Certain parts of New Zealand are subject to low-lying cloud and fog and the danger arising from this source can be eliminated to a large extent by proper methods of signalling.'?