RAILWAY ROAD SERVICES

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22805, 2 September 1939, Page 20

RAILWAY ROAD SERVICES

TO THE EDITOR OP THE PRESS. Sir,—How does the management of the Railway Road Service account for the striking lack of uniformity in the various routes in Canterbury? For instance, on the Christchurch to Akaroa and Christchurch to Hawarden routes the omnibuses operated by the Railway Department are above reproach; but, unfortunately, this does not apply to the vehicles used on the; Parnassus to Blenheim route. If it is the policy of the Railway Road Service management to’operate these seemingly “dead beat” service _ cars on routes where the pay load "is light, why should a modern 16-seater omnibus be used on the Little River to ’ Akaroa route, where the passengers carried daily are surely a small number. With reference to the Parnassus to Blenheim line, it is to -be noted that a welcome reform has been made. On the train’s arrival at Parnassus, through passengers, mails, and luggage are now transferred to the service car with speed and efficiency and the service car is dispatched within a reasonable time limit. But surely people using this service are entitled to as much travelling comfort as those patronising the Railway Road Service to Akaroa and to Hawarden. — Yours, etc., L.A.

August 19, 1939. [Mr W. T. Hanna, Christchurch manager of the Railway Road Services, said when he saw this letter: .‘.‘The vehicles used on the Parnassus-Blenheim service are the standard 12-seater 353 Cadillac type, and. are the same as those used on similar routes throughout the Dominion both by the department and by many other operators. Furthermore, this service is not comparable with the other two services mentioned by the correspondent as the road conditions and the quantity of mail handled would not permit the use of the type of vehicles used on the Christchurch-Hawarden and Christ- • church-Akaroa services without serious delays to the services. In regard to the Little River-Akaroa passenger service, I might state that when a 12seater car was used- on this service it was frequently found to be too small, arid in the interests of the people concerned, it was deemed desirable to keep a larger vehicle regularly operating on the run. If ‘L.A.’ would favour me with an interview I would be quite pleased to discuss with him various other points affecting the position and the many difficulties which confront operators in their endeavours to give service to the public generally.”]