TRAMWAY BOARD.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19974, 8 July 1930, Page 6

TRAMWAY BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. A moeting of the Christchurch Tramway Board was held yesterday, and was attended by Mr W. Hayward= (chairman), Mrs E. R. McComba, and Messrs E. H. Andrews, H. Pearcc, W. Williamson, John Wood, W. J. Walter, and D. Sykes. A request from tho Is'orth Linwood Burgesses' Association that tho pole at the corner of Lionel and Gloucester streets be removed was referred to the Works and Traffic Committee, with power to act. Tho churchwardens of All Saints Church, Sumner, and of tho Sumner Presbyterian Church, wrote asking that the 12.6 p.m. tram from Sumner on Sundays be delayed about fivo minutes. Tho general manager pointed out that this tram made its return at 12.40 from the Square and was already rather late for church people. To make it later still would add to the inconvenience of the City church people. The request was referred to the Works and Traffic Committee.

It was reported that representatives of the Board had mot representatives of tbe City Council with respect to the control of tram traffic at street intersections. The Board's representatives submitted the following contentions: — (1) Council traffic officers have to give vehicular traffic the us© of the crossing in turn. If trams were runnittg at half-minuto headways they could not expect to receive preference every time, even though that preference included vehicular traffic travelling in the same direction. To do this would virtuallv block cross traffic altogether. The,(sbristchurch trams do not run so frequently as that, therefore there is nothing to prevent traffic travelling in the same direction as the tram being given the right of way. When the tram with its accompanying batch of other vehicles was through, the cross traffic could be given the right of way. This would divide the rights of the crossing equally between the opposing streams of traffic, and and yet not hold up the trams. (2) When a tram is stationary, vehicular traffic has to stop also, undier Government regulations, therefore the less stoppage of trams the less congestion to ordinary traffic. (3) A tram car soats 50 passengers. A motor-car five or six. From the point of view of the greater good for tho greater number, tho tram passenger is entitled to receive more consideration than he gets. Twenty-five million tram passengers are carried annually. If the convenience of these people was kept in mind rather than the' interests of the Tramway Board or the convenience of tramway officers, great public good would result. (4) Motorists are not on fixed rails. They have also a choice of routes, which the tram-car has not. (5) The tram-cat, has to run to a time-table. If it csoes not keep good time tho public suffer. A private motor-car does not have to keep to a time-table. (6) Whenever delays take plaoe even on ordinary days at street intersections the motormen in "consequence are compelled to "make up time, and the risk of accident increases. Briefly, the position is that the Board does not ask for absolute preference for tram-cars at street intersections, but that when road traffic is travelling with the trams it should be given right of way over cross traffic, the trams particionting m this right of way. The cross traffic would receive its turn either before or after the arrival of tho tram with' its accompanying vehicular traffic. Tho report was adopted.