Board Granted Licence For Bus Service To Lyttelton

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30316, 17 December 1963, Page 19

Board Granted Licence For Bus Service To Lyttelton

The Christchurch Transport Board yesterday was granted the right to operate bus senices through the road tunnel to Lyttelton by the No. 9 Transport Licensing Authority (Mr J. S. Haywood).

The board (Mr W. K. L. Dougall) had applied for a new continuous passenger service licence for the return Christchurch-Lyttelton road tunnel route.

In granting the licence, the Author.ty made provision for its review. "In the event of the board exercising its statutory power to bring the borough of Lyttelton within tne board’s rating area, this licence shall be subject to review by the appropriate Transport Licensing Authrity.” Sir Dougall made a formal objection to this condition. -Mr Haywood said the application was one which made minor history. The opening of the tunnel was ' ery near. Since the Road Tunnel Authority would not allow foot passage, mechanical transport would be be essential if people were to go through. Mr J. F. Fardell. the general manager of the board, said the proposed route started from the Square along High street and Ferry road to Woolston and the new . ccess road, to and through the tunnel into Lyttelton. The introduction of the service would enable passengers going both ways to do the

i trip in one vehicle. It would ■ serve the Lyttelton borough, especially the weujern part, I > he said. Fares would compare with > the present rail fares. The i 10-mile bus trip from the Square to Lyttelton would cost Is 3d for a cash fare. ■ plus an extra 4d for tunnel surcharge—a total of Is 7d. ! A 20 ride concession card would be Is 2jd (IOJd plus i 4d tunnel charge a ride, and i a nine ride card would be ! Is 3id a ride, said Mr Far- > dell. i The rail fare was Is 3d from t Moorhouse avenue to Lyttel- • ton. The bus fare from the | » Square to Ute station was 4d. > Later the board intended to extend its services with - week-end trips from Lyttelton to Corsair Bay, said Mr : Fardell. i Mr D. L. Hogan for the 1 Commissioner of Transport, ■ said that the board’s intention i to run to Corsair Bay would have to be the subject of a - fresh application for amends meat. • Mr J. M. Doodie, president

of the Christchurch Taxi Proprietors’ Federajion, said his association had not proposed to object to the application as it had not been aware of ttie board’s intention to go to Corsair Bay.

Bus services there would make considerable inroads into taxi business and his a:tsocia4on would object he said.

“A continuous passenger system and taxi services are two entirely different tilings." said the authority to Mr Doodie. He would deal with the application as it was presented. The Lyttelton Borough Council (Mr J. G. Leggat) said it had not instituted the application. The railways had given many years of satisfactory service. However it did not oppose the application.

Instead, the council asked that the licence should come up for review if the board decided to incorporate the borough jn its rating area. Mr Fardell replied that it was not "the intention of the board to do this. Templeton was a parallel case. There was no move to bring Templeton into its rating area. He estimated that Lyttelton, if raced would give a revenue of £3OOO annually. Mr Leggat said the council was looking ahead to the possible actions of future transport boards. Mr Haywood agreed to this request. Granting the application, Mr Haywood said it was one which involved both duty and the public interest. Whether it was in the selfinterest of the board was another matter.

“However Lyttelton has an opportunity it has never had before to have the best of both worlds. Residents will have tile service of both rail iwe can assume they will still run' and bus,” said Mr Haywood.

(Transport Board Discussion Page 25)