NEW LOCAL FARES

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30536, 3 September 1964, Page 1

NEW LOCAL FARES

Examples of the new charges, as they will apply to South Island travel, are as follows:

Suburban The 10 - trip concession prices will rise by an average of 20 per cent, but will still offer a reduction of from 20 to 50 per cent on ordinary fares. In the Christchurch suburban area, the price of a Christchurch-Lyttelton 10-trip ticket becomes 10s instead of 8s 6d, comparing with 12s 6d for 10 single-trip tickets. The new ChristchurchRangiora 10-trip ticket will cost 16s 6d instead of 14s, but will still save 16s compared with 10 single tickets at 3s 3d each.

A comparison of new prices with old, for 10-trip tickets on suburban routes operating from Christchurch to the undermentioned stations, is as follows (existing prices being mentioned in brackets).—

Opawa or Addington, 4s 6d (4s); Woolston or Riccarton, 6s 6d (5s 6d); Bryndwr or Middleton, 7s 6d (6s 6d); Heathcote, Papanui, Sockburn, 8s 6d (7s); Hornby 9s 6d (8s); Lyttelton, Styx,' Islington, 10s (8s 6d); Belfast or Templeton, 11s 6d (9s 6d); Chaneys, 12s 6d (10s 6d); Kaiapoi or Rolleston, 15s (12s); Flaxton, 15s (13s); Burnham, 16s (13s 6d); Southbrook, Rangiora, 16s 6d (14s). Season Tickets In line with the increased prices of 10-trip tickets the prices of season tickets will rise by varying amounts between 18 and 33 per cent, monthly season tickets will rise by about 20 per cent, quarterly tickets by 25 per cent, six-monthly tickets by 30 per cent, and annual tickets by 33 per cent (all approximate). For example, the monthly tickets between Christchurch and Lyttelton, now 38s, will be 455, and the quarterly tickets, now 965, will be 114 s. The monthly ticket between Christchurch and Rangiora, now 645, will be 755, and the quarterly ticket, now 1575, will be 191 s. The revised suburban fares are expected to produce approximately the additional £200,000 over a full year. This would still leave a yearly deficit in the vicinity of £BOO.OOO. Parcels The new scale for parcels consigned by train will be based on new mileage groupings arranged to conform with the groupings used for small lots of goods.

The charge for a 1121 b parcel consigned 90 miles by rail will rise from 7s 3d to 8s 6d, but the charges for a similar parcel consigned 220 miles will fall from 17s 6d to 15s. The charge for single newspapers conveyed by rail is unchanged, but the flat rate of 6s 6d per cwt for bulk consignments rises to 7s. Short-Haul Minimum charges per ton per waggon will be increased. The increase in the case of general goods will be from 10s lOd to £1 a ton; for grain, flour and manure it will be from 9.9 d to 15s a ton; for timber, from 2s to 3s 4d a ton; and for livestock, from £2 6s 6d to £3 per H or J class waggon. Port Line Traffic New rates, claimed to be more have been applied to goods handled, for example, ex ship at Lyttelton to goods sheds at Christchurch. Here the present charge of £1 Is 6d a ton, including handling at ship’s side and sorting in Christchurch, will rise to £1 10s a top. The extra 10s over the new minimum rate of £1 a ton will comprise a 5s handling charge and a 5s sorting charge. General Goods Examples of the extent of increases in the rates for general goods are 140 mile haul, from £5 Is to £5 8s per ton, 200 mile haul, from £6 9s 9d to £6 13s 6d a ton. The minimum rate already mentioned applies only for 28 miles or less. From 31 to 149 miles there will be no alteration in present rates, and for 150 miles upwards there will be increases to 2$ per cent.

The present charges for the rail-air services and for the Aramoana remain unaltered.