FARES ON THE TRAMS

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22414, 30 May 1938, Page 14

FARES ON THE TRAMS

EXPERIMENT IN SUMNER TO CEASE ABANDONMENT OP PENNY SECTION The penny tram section in Sumner between the post office and Head street, which has been on trial for three months, is to be abandoned after June 1, according to a decision made by the Christchurch Tramway Board on Saturday. The decision was made oh the recommendation of the works and traffic committee, which reported that, since the introduction of the penny fare, receipts on the section had decreased. Before the introduction of the penny fare, the ‘ report said, passengers paid either 2d cash or lid by using a trip card. Receipts from cash fares and trip cards for a week before the change were £1 Is. Since the penny fare was charged receipts had ranged from 6s 4d to 14s 4d a week. It was considered that the reduction was not warranted, and normal fares would be resumed on and after June 1. The committee’s recommendation to resume ordinarv fares was opposed by Mr J. Barr and Mr W. J. Walter. Mr Barr, moving that the clause should be referred back to the committee, said that in the week before the change there were still many visitors in Sumner, and when the penny section came into operation many of them were still using lid trip cards. If the takings during the first week of the trial were compared with the takings over the whole period, it would be seen that the penny fare was a success. The number of passengers had increased, and over 12 months the board would be making money. “From my point of view, restoring the penny section in Sumner was the introduction to its reinstatement throughout the service,” Mr Barr said. “There is no need to reduce fares all over the service, but if we shortened some sections and made them a penny we would not have to rate so heavily.” Shorter Sections Suggested

Mr Walter, in seconding Mr Barr’s motion, said shorter sections were worth trying. If there was a penny section from the city to the belts many who now walked to and from the city would travel on the trams. Thousands who formerly walked to the hospital were now using the trams because of the penny section. Mr G. Manning said Dunedin had tried to increase its income by reducing fares, in spite of warnings by the manager, who had been proved right in three months. The tramway authorities in the other main centres were all in a better position financially than Christchurch, and yet, if fares were compared, he would say that those in Christchurch were cheaper than any. Reducing the cost of sections would reduce the beard’s income and that would be suicidal. Mr H. E. Denton said Mr Barr was taking a purely parochial attitude. The summer was the correct time to try an experiment in reducing fares. If it could not succeed then, there would be an even bigger deficiency in the winter. Mr Barr had brought no evidence to warrant the continuation of the experiment, and Mr Walter should know that the penny section from the Square to the hospital was for a specific purpose, and that the section had no parallel in the service. Mr A. A. McLachlan said Mr Barr and Mr Walter should also know that even an increase of 75 per cent, in passengers gained by halving fares would not be a paying proposition. The motion to refer the clause back to the committee was lost on the voices. .