RUSH TRAFFIC.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18920, 8 February 1927, Page 11

RUSH TRAFFIC.

TRANSPORTING LARGE CROWDS. WHERE CHRISTCHURCH LEADS. ".>ome disappointment has been expressed at tho inability of the Board to provide sufficient bus transport for the New Brighton Borough and School Picnic to be held at Pleasant Point." x at ,r ''!r rei)on made bv the ork s and rathe Committee to the Cbristchurdi .Tt." 1W | ! l' V lioar(1 • Vo!,,( ' rJ »y nfternoon. u , K,m ' wanted the Board to cater lor 1300 people. This would have taken 40 buses in oue haul. Fourteen buses would havo been needed if the party wero taken in three trips, lo increase the number of trios and reduce the buses required would have spoiled t'uo picnic. For instance, if only five buses were used, it would take nearly two and a half hours to transport tin: wbule party, and the same time for the return journey. "A heavy traffic license." fee (which goes io the road authorities), plus comprehensive insurance premium to cover tiro and accident to 'third party,' plus insurance premium to protect passengers, plus interest on capital cost, means that an annual liability of about £-'4(J has to be incurred for each bus before a wheel .'an be turned. Obviously, buses cannot be mado to pay their way unless they are in dailv use. The incident illustrates the inability of omnibuses to transport high peak loads at a low fare.''

The chairman (Mr A. S. Taylor) said thai tho report bore out what had lieon experienced by authorities in other parts of tho world, namely that the tramways wero still the only means of transport available to carry largo number.:! of people at peak periods. In Cht'istchtireh tiso was mado of trailer cars to assist in carrying passengers in busy times, which placed the Hoard inan advantageous position when compared with similar authorities in other places. When ho was in I«cicestcr (England), at the time the All Blacks wero playing there, on which occasion between 20,000 and 40.000 people were present, ho noticed that only three or four regular ears wero put on to pick up tho people. Tho reason of Ibis, so he was informed, was that the authorities simply could not supply tho necessary cars while tho usual services were being maintained, although the playing ground was no further away than Lancaster. Park is from the City. Christchurch was singularly fortunate in this respect.