The Press THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1952. Higher Tram and Bus

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26857, 9 October 1952, Page 8

The Press THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1952. Higher Tram and Bus

Fares Recent wage increases left the Christchurch Transport Board no 1 alternative to the unpleasant decision to raise fares; and, although the feelings of Messrs E. J. Brad- j shaw and T. M. Charters can be r understood, it is impossible to agree j with their opposition to the course t that was taken. The additional . wages cost could hardly be met out * of rates this year, since accounts a have already gone to the ratepayers; £ and if it were carried forward as a 4 deficit it would mean an increase of ■= more than 20 per cent, in next year’s a rates. In any case, most people will > agree with Mr R. G. Brown that J tramway rates are already too high. If they jumped again, whether by J £14,000 or £28,000, it might easily 2 react to the disadvantage of those f who use public transport, because * ratepayers would probably demand £ a heavy reduction in expenditure, 1 i which would mean a big reduction c in service. Economies in manage- ' ment might save something; but t nothing like £14,000. At best, the ' ’raising of fares will not do a great • ideal more than meet the higher 1 'operating charges and leave a little ■ I to* meet other increases that may ■ come along. On the other hand, the • ■ new tariff may discourage patronage, 1 'perhaps damagingly. 1 Like rates, fares are now quite high enough, if not too high; and the ( Transport Board should re-examine the whole basis of its operation in an attempt to get some stability. The board will be assisted in this by the report of the general manager (Mr J. F. Fardell) on his overseas investigations, which, by a coincidence, came before the same meeting of the board. Mr Fardell found in many places public transport problems similar to those of ■ Christchurch, where they are more difficult chiefly because of a relatively low population density. The most important of Mr Fardell’s recommendations was that the board should earn enough revenue to meet all costs, including capital charges. In the present state of the Christchurch undertaking this is almost certainly impossible. When conversion to diesel buses is complete, it should be possible, : although difficult. The proposals made by Mr Fardell to achieve this happy stage go far beyond adjustments to fares, which must bear a reasonable relationship to the service provided. He suggested economies such as the mechanisation ' of workshop practice and the use of ticket machines, and by the curtail--1 ment or abandonment of uneconomic ' services. Steps in the latter direction 1 must be carefully taken, or the . undertaking might fail to provide a 1 public transport service adequate to the needs of Christchurch. However, load factors as low as 3.5 passengers a mile suggest that some !. services are so poorly patronised as 2 to be unwarranted. | A constructive proposal was that 5 the bus services should be | “merchandised”, by which we take s Mr Fardell to mean that' the board I should adopt commercial methods of * promoting sales. Its task will be to convince people that it is convenient j and economical to use a bus instead . of a bicycle or a car. The board may ’ have a useful sales argument in the ’ increasing difficulty in finding parking space near Cathedral square. No doubt many people who go to and from work by car would find it cheaper and quicker to go by bus; and the board should try to convince them that this is so, with the incidental benefit that it will reduce their rates. The board was told that one small piece of business transac- , ted by Mr Fardell had paid his expenses. However that may be, the ideas that he has brought back are themselves of value, and should help the board and its successors in

the rehabilitation of a ramshackle undertaking. The ratepayers will not be unduly optimistic about being soon relieved of the £130,000 a year they are now paying; but they would appreciate any reversal of the rising tendency.