Private Cars And Public Transport

Press, Volume C, Issue 29621, 18 September 1961, Page 9

Private Cars And Public Transport

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, Sept. 17. “The motor-car has come to stay, and we must be prepared to live with cars in ever-increasing numbers,” said Mr D. B. Dallas, planning engineer of the Ministry of Works, speaking at the engineering conference on roading and planning. “It would be a tragedy for large parts of our economy and employment if anything happened substantially to reduce production, distribution, and servicing of more cars,” he said. “Our democratic way of life rules out any possibility that we could compel people to leave their cars at home,” ■ '

But it was a fallacy to suggest that this would force the building of more and bigger arterial roads, and spell the doom of public transport. The fact was that an efficient public transport system was Just as much an essential metropolitan municipal service as an adequate watersupply, an adequate sewerage system, and an adequate rubbish-disposal system. What was essential was a basic system of motorways, highways, and streets to move motor vehicles with their people and merchandise, and also an adequate public transport system to handle the people who must be moved every day to and from work, and to and from an indefinite number of destinations. There must be the best possible combination of all forms of transport.

“The obvious inter-relation of all means of transport in large metropolitan areas in terms of movement of people leads to the conclusion that the arrangements whereby they are entirely separate in terms of finance is quite unrealistic, and no longer satisfactory,” said Mr Dallas. “One is inclined to believe that too many persons concerned in financial policy are more slavishly devoted to economic formulae than to the real interests of the community.”