Shoppers’ Bus To Be Continued

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30558, 29 September 1964, Page 16

Shoppers’ Bus To Be Continued

A proposal by Mr R. H. Stillwell that the shoppers’ bus be discontinued met with no support from other members of the Christchurch Transport Board yesterday. Mr E. J. Bradshaw said that though the patronage so far was disappointing, the revenue was virtually sufficient to cover the cost to the board.

The bus was losing heavily and should be put off the road, Mr Stillwell said. “1 saw it on Friday afternoon on two or three occasions decked like a wedding cake and with no passengers on it at all,” he said. “The sooner it is off the road the better it will be for the revenue of the board.” Mr Stillwell’s fellow Labour members of the board. Mr H. E. Denton and Mrs R. M. Macfarlane, were the first to defend the bus and urge its continuance until it had had a fair trial:

"It would be very stupid to put an experiment on the road for only a few months and then take it off.” said Mr Denton. The board had two functions, Le said—to provide an amenity value for the public and to run the service as economically and as well as possible.

Two big off-street parking buildings were nearing completion. ’ Mr Denton said. When they were operating they would add a lot to the shoopers’ bus patronage.

Hundreds of older nersons in the city, his wife for one, would regret the loss of the bus. If the board did not carry on with the experiment

over the summer months so that it could have a fair trial, it would be like an ostrich and burying its head in the sand.

Shopkeepers could do a lot more to publicise the service, Mr Denton said.

Mrs Macfarlane said she had been disappointed to see so few using the bus, but the experiment should continue. She suggested that if the business community took over the bus and gave a free service i‘- would have more use.

The shoppers’ bus was run at off-peak times, and there was no call on wages for it. so the cost of running it was very low, Mr Bradshaw said

A unanimous decision of the board had instituted the service only four months ago. said the chairman (Mr J. R. Smith), “and it is disappointing that Mr Stillwell should attack it in the way he did.” While it had not so far been the success the board had hoped for, it had done something for those not fortunate enough to have a car in which to run around the city, Mr Smith said. If the shopkeepers got behind it and gave it a little more publicity he was sure it would serve a worthwhile purpose.

Dr. Donald Williams, an administrator of the United States Department of Agriculture’s soil conservation service, begins talks in Wellington today on New Zealand’s conservation problem. He has conducted similar missions in India, Turkey, Tunisia and Algeria.—(PA.)