CITY TRANSPORT.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19814, 30 December 1929, Page 9

CITY TRANSPORT.

A DEFENCE OF TRAMS

MRI.ROI KNE*S KAPEKHtm K

Another d. l-n.-c of the li.mt«r a» the mnitiatay of ail eily trauepo'l »\>tom* i* inn.tr m it Uooklft nailed !■»• tin Melt.oiliur trnmiv.-.i r.uUmiilie* d. -■ t -)»ijnjjj ten yrvi" jTopretn ill th« lumspoit of 1 -.,«.-n |t or» m that ul> Mmh that m »ot nut ui thi» hooklet litis ,ilino»t ;i direct l<etJtlUj( upon •'"' tram port !<\t.teiii heie l'li« following :> re #v irr.rt" from tin- booklet '• In :in»wer u. tin .mmTtion lliki lt:illis ;|ie the tenl . .nmf of »' Icd oeMieii. it mtch! n,|l be iitgUKit tha ~,i.m to I!': - '; i.o oi . ie M ;,rded Irani* hi mi, hj,, lijti.t With the mpid tftov. th of motel em tmfflc fli'«o Unit tune oiiwuriU, and the . onUinioc|Hiikin(f of i.it- in tie Hln in t«u»uie»* r»ii>toll|ibl'j»l •■» the ttani.'lir bectiine tlo tniftic seiipetfoat Thai mnlula tiaffi Mendilv iter.-mio more .leiur ia nut dm lulled.' Hint tn<m.nri» tire ie»»poll*>>'l' for urn h.r K e sa-.te in the congeal to. ii (Oiitindietr.! i>v tin f«'t that, »hi [ > ui llf.Vt the l.ojir'd *« »!>.. k n' Haiti, n' •» numbered v>:>, 'he lotnl Ih.a >*ar .< I>dl P'.!\ Hint of UtH* number a U(|t propoilinti doo« net coin the oh Tt■•••«' llHliies mi iioi»(l'' imnUHl >»> ,'to;iH.. of lit lie iimrr than • p" **** In the atimo period the annual »H'tH' lliereiiT 111 till' number of nii'liU »chicl«"< una :.'K per cent, It »eent* idlr. how ever, to l.li.me ««,» paifuul'ir l.v|>* •' xehicitt for M.eel ron»{.'i.t ton lII* mne rrnaoruihla viaw aurrly ia thul »««§»» tion ia ti juration of Ih* deg<.«e to why 'h •in- nvMilMlilo s. icrt tpiie* ia uttHaed ' The report givoa t ra«if flf«r«'l «f • .eniin made l>v the Town-|iU«n»«fc ("ommiiiion. nnd when »» f*rrtn» la * (•poeltkl tally takoa at pa,\k load tmir aaid: "Tl.'eno motor rat paat^n irrra could li»n« b»»n ttaiiiported a»an foflald\ i" nitio «ranira?» oempyini :t«7t* M|iuire fret of loiirl aptue, In ulriiil, thev were rarrjfd in *■* Wotoi rart, whit'li oi'fupird U»,»60 •U**""* f, rt of tho alrart. "

Alleged Obaoieacaaea ej Tramway* Combating tha etetement that tram wny* are becoming ©baoleaeent, tha r* port givei ntnliatiea ttlativa to tram w«v fxtaiiiiona in tfreal Htitaitt. a»li then proceed*: "A* la town* whi. h i»r>ai.«Joned their tramway*, tin. neces »ity for ao doing er«*e '«»*» '■■• f *'~* that tha track* required eoraplete i»> iirwal. It waa found that tha cost ef such renewal, having regard te the earning capacity of *-»»• tramways te question, waa prohibitive, A form of transport had, therefore, to lit found which would not involve atirh high fixed charge*. Fated with tho task of renswlng.woni out track •»«* rolling atoek put down or built twenty-lit* year* ago, theao a»ui.trlpaUllen •hanged ovtr mainlv to trackless Utility buses, operated f' »m overhead wires » • manner aimilar to tramesr*. Motw Omnibuses. "For » certain «iaaa ef servlee the bua haa an advantage ovar the tree* car. II eliminates tha tram tracla, aub-staHon plant. feeders, and overhead line*. Ilii mobility permit* of the leal iug of roiitea and thf varying •'. MM ;i» oi-t'oaion may require. I asevngt'•"« mnv be picked up »l tht krii>. The «•■ vclnpmcnl of outlying diet nets where ii close headway i« not required awn boat be mat by tha uae of buses.

"Tlicne ndvantages mi"' ofwi bv l*r heuvifi opeiuttug chatgea. Thia it »l"" mainly to the fact that etea bes kas t« earry its own small power pleat, wkiea hsi eharaeteriatiea leea awiubts f«» %tm lion work than th§ elaetrie meter sup plied with currant from a gaaaratiag station, as if has te he eoniblatd witfcaa elaborate tranamlaaioa ay at ess. ateleengine and t ranamtteies) are eeatty t» maintain. The test of main ten* eee e»f tyres alone is equivalent U» a •easitet able pn.portioii of the average eeet *>f maintcaHnce and renewals of tmai tf»»» and road bed. "As tha capital rost of tree* »•■ overhead is lndependeiit ef the tmeiber of ears used, Iha tsed rhuiges per ear mtlo are eensiderahle on rentes eeft} ing a light but heeesst reie lively unimportant on deaaely li»ee>4 routes sweh a* the main lines in the city and Inner suburb*. Fined »»ergea ft bua mile on the h»a eyateaa, mm the other hand, do not vary materially with the number of buses employed. Puses ar«, therefore, peevliarly suited let §»- vtlepment eervieee ia the suburb* where alaflnlle tramc routes have net *•*• established, and where the demand fer transport, is satisfled by a. regular though (nfrequent aervic*, and where the f»* seating capacity of the vehicle i» »et generally •i.teeaeil. When, kiww, ** occur* on our main routes, the number of passenger* ia the dominating fatter, the true basis *f east is the peaeeeftr mile the superior economy ef the tram then becomes manifest"

Trailer atast*. Intermediate between the pelf*l osaesY bus niul the elettnc trm*nnr it tie* electric trolley bus, taking its power from the. overhead wiree like a item car. It is more teeneinle as •« eeljeael to a tramway system whet; the iite* val or headway between rare ia »«re fhnn aii and leas than tweety miauls* "The board's view in no way *t»e»» from that of authorities the wort* #»•*'• Thii ia that, the electric tram ia, m r pjffllem-r. the vehicle for dene* eity transport, and that the trolley »»«t petrol bus are the most suitable vehicle* for providing transport ie seere sparsel.V'Settled areas. The heart's policy ia, however, to estend the awe <»f the electric tram as far si is pe set hie by using the profits of »«<* «etstral system to balance the losses on trajav may eiteaaions during their <b)v»le#mental period This is done in •reVw that the residents of the outer eatbwilte maw make the journey without ckaitftef vehicles, as they would have to 4* were each type of vehicle reetfieUai fce its own economic sphere."