CITY TRANSPORT PROBLEMS

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26855, 7 October 1952, Page 8

CITY TRANSPORT PROBLEMS

OVERSEAS TRENDS EXAMINED CONCLUSIONS REACHED BY MR FARDELL During a recent visit to Great Britain and America the general manager of the Christchurch Transport Board (Mr J. F. Fardell) studied the development and trends of modern passenger transport. Reporting to the board yesterday he said he had reached the following conclusions:— “(1) That the tramway, except for very large and densely populated cities, is a vehicle of the past. Its use in large cities can only be accepted if its operation is confined to reserve or sunken trackways in the city centres. “(2) All citi.es of the size of Christchurch are changing to rubber-tyred vehicles. “(3) Where the topography of the town is flat, and the basic frequencies on routes are 10 minutes or greater, then the diesel bus should be used in preference to the trolley-bus. “(4) That fare structures have to be designed to produce revenue to cover ‘all-in’ costs. “(5) That the product we sell has to be merchandised. “(6) That the public should support the use of their own vehicles to the greatest possible extent. * Patronage determines the amount of service to be rendered. “(7) Uneconomic services should be curtailed or abandoned. “(8) As much mechanisation as possible should be introduced in workshop practice. “(9) That attention be directed to the use of ticket machines to see what savings can be effected.” e