COOK STRAIT AIR SERVICE

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26887, 13 November 1952, Page 8

COOK STRAIT AIR SERVICE

PLANS OF RAILWAYS DEPARTMENT

HARBOUR BOARDS WILL OPPOSE APPLICATION

(New Zealand Press Association) INVERCARGILL, November 12.

The New Zealand Harbour Boards’ Association will give evidence next Monday opposing the Railways Department’s application to the Air Transport Licensing Authority for a licence to fly cars and their passengers across Cook Strait simultaneously. The harbour boards’ conference decided this today to enable the authority to be informed. Discussion on the proposal and the evidence to be given was postponed until the conference resumes on Friday morning. The Air Services Licensing Authority will sit at Wellington on Monday tc receive evidence on the application by the Railways Department for an amendment to its air freight express service enabling the licensee to carry drivers and bona fide passengers ■of motor vehicles transported on the routes Paraparaumu-Woodbourne and Nelson, said a telegram from the Wellington Harbour Board. The shipowners were opposing the application. The grounds were that airlines and car consignees paid no dues such as harbour dues and wharfage. The Union Steam Ship Company would give evidence to indicate that the granting of the application might mean the end of the Picton as well as the Nelson ferry services and a detrimental effect on the Lyttelton steamer express service, Yesulting in loss of revenue to harbour boards.