TRANSPORT TO CITY

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25243, 23 July 1947, Page 8

TRANSPORT TO CITY

NO UNPRECEDENTED DEMAND

VISITORS ADEQUATELY CATERED FOR

The number of visitors to Christchurch from country areas, particularly the Malvern County, was not as big as was anticipated, according to estimated figures of the Railways Department and various road transport services. It was not thought that there would be many in town from districts north of the Waimakariri river, as most northern residents will have a chance to see Field-Marshal Montgomery as he passes through today on his way to the West Coast. The New Zealand Road Railway Services buses were heavily loaded from Waiau. Hanmer Springs, and Hawarden. but the department did not run extra buses. Midland Motorways, Ltd., estimated that its buses carried about 250 passengers more than usual from the Kaiapoi-Belfast district, but other than the extra demand there, no further buses were called on, though provision had been made for heavier loading. No extra demands were made on Midland Motorways Malvern County services. An official of Day’s Motors estimated that the demand for transport from the Ellesmere area was about 50 per cent, greater than normal, but even then not as great as expected. It was expected that the company would be asked to carry fairly large numbers of school children into the city, but that did not eventuate. Although New Zealand Railways Road Services did not provide extra buses on normal routes, special buses were provided to bring children into the city from Harewood, Halswell. and Hornby, from which three districts 124 children were carried. A member of a local taxi organisation said that the demand for taxis yesterday was, if anything, less than normal. No extra train services were run, but trains brought more people in the city from outside districts than usual. The Christchurch Tramway Board placed extra trams and buses on most of its routes for a period of two or three hours to bring people into the city f or the welcome and civic reception. In addition to the large number of adult passengers the board catered for between 3000 and 4000 school children. All trams were packed, making

work for the staff rather arduous, but throughout the period of heavy loading there were no untoward incidents. Time-tables were well maintained except for a period between mid-day and 1 p.m., when the crowd was particularly big. The passage and turnround of trams was then somewhat upset, but not to any appreciable extent. While the crowds were in the Square the board diverted a number of buses running from the western suburbs from their normal termini in the Square into Manchester street.