TRAMWAYS IN AUCKLAND

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26745, 31 May 1952, Page 6

TRAMWAYS IN AUCKLAND

LOSS OF £6934 LAST YEAR FOURTH SUCCESSIVE DEFICIT (New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, May 30. With fewer people using trams, the Auckland Transport Board finished the financial year ended March 31 last with a loss of £6934. The result fell below expectations. The board budgeted for a' surplus of £12,036. In the previous year the board lost £46,575. It was the board’s fourth successive deficit. The manager (Mr C. R. Gribble) said the year was a struggle to maintain an ageing fleet of vehicles in efficient condition until they could be replaced by modern equipment in the face of a heavy peak demand. This would continue for the next few years. “It is clear that the citys public services are failing to keep pace with its extraordinarily rapid growth,” said Mr Gribble. “The inadequate labour force and the scarcity and high cost of materials have contributed to this situation. If it is allowed to continue it can only become progressively more serious.” No effort would be spared to hasten the board’s plans for bringing the public passenger transport facilities of the city into line with its development. There was a drop of nearly 12,000,000 in the number of passengers carried. The figure was 81,689,174. compared with 93,490,742 in the previous year.