THE OPAWA TRAMS.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16471, 14 March 1919, Page 7

THE OPAWA TRAMS.

to THE EDITOR OF "ME PBESS." Sir,—For the past twelve months 1 have been a constant traveller upon the Sydenham (accidentally named Opawa) tram line. It has been constantly borne in upon me that Opawa is, considering its the most neglected of all the lines fof service. It is a certainty . that tne Tramway Board never give. ub » trailer unless they have to, and then it is. as a rule, one of the oldest rattletraps they can find. Last (Saturday night I nearly had a fit when I found two trailers being run. Afterwards 1 found out they were not Tor Opawa, but Fendalton. With regard to the route. It was wildly rumour* ed a few weeks back that we were going to get a service via Falsgrava street. That, I dare 6ay, will be the length of it—rumour. That is all Opawa is capable of. On the present route we have for years had to put up with a threepenny line, when we should have had a twopenny (Falsgrave street) lino; we have had to suffer being pushed off our own car by unruly Sydenham people, or forced to stand half the way; while trailers, even on important cars, have been conspicuous by their absence. I wonder how often a member of the Board travels on this line, to see the truth of such statements. He can do so any day. Let him try the 12.3, 12.23, 12.52, 1.4, and then later on the 4.30 and 4.51 from the Square in particular. They say we have four members on the Board. Where are they? Not Opawa. 1 guess, or else they would soon change matters. Then Waltham road corner is notorious as one of the worst around the city. I should like to put a member of the Board in the motonnan's cabin, on n dark winter's night to note the dangers. Or I would put him on the top of a double-decker trailer to see how near it goes.to the verandahs on either side. There is very little space to spare, and if the trailer happened to jolt off the line, there would be some damage done. Why the Tramway Board and the City Council allowed these verandahs to go up, and to remain there, is more than I can fathom.

The authorities seem quite content to let matters go on, until a bad smash occurs, and then they will blame their servants on the cars. Shake yourself together, Opawa. and wake tip. How much longer are you going to snore? I am amazed that the business men of the suburb should have put up with these conditions for so long. How much louger are we going to put up with the Sydenham car? It ib high time OpaWa pushed for: (1) A twopenny line via Falsgrave street: \2) a quarter-hourly service from 12 noon on; (3) adequate trailer accommodation on important cars. Lei; the Sydenham people look after themselves. We have studied them quite long enough.

A suggestion: They could claim a service of their own as far a a Waltham road ,'n the rush times. lam sorry to take up so much space, but I feel that the subject warrants it. I could write a volume, but enough has been sr.id to set the ball rolling. That is all I desire.—Yours etc— No. a