Transport Board Policy

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30559, 30 September 1964, Page 18

Transport Board Policy

In the last three years in which the Citizens’ Association had held a majority on the Christchurch Transport Board, rates had been reduced and fares kept at a level which provided the people of metropolitan Christchurch with the cheapest public transport in Australia or New Zealand, said an election policy statement of the Christ-

church Citizens’ Association yesterday. When the last board was

elected it had made a comiplete survey of all bus services and wherever worth- ; while savings could be made |it had eliminated trips which were poorly patronised and uneconomic, the statement said. During the three years services had been improved and extended wherever the potential passenger patronage justified that action. The association’s policy was:—

1. To extend and improve services where justified to meet the requirements of a growing city.

2. To curtail services where they were not reasonably patronised. Poorly patronised services were an unjustified charge on the community and this charge accrued either to the ratepayer in increased rates or to the user of the board’s buses in increased fares.

3. To endeavour at all times to see that revenue other than rates met operating costs, leaving the loan charges for the purchase of buses and other capital equipment to be met by the rate levy. 4. To encourage off-peak loading by continuing the reduced fares to age beneficiaries and returned servicemen on war veterans’ allowances. Any worthwhile measure which tended to reduce the peak-time loading reduced the need for more buses and more staff and was reflected in greater efficiency and lower over-all costs. 5. To further the proposal I to replace the present obsolete bus barn and office block in Cathedral square with a structure to meet pre-sent-day requirements.

6. To continue a businesslike and efficient administration of public passenger transport which was an important Christchurch amenity.