Stoppage For Three Hours

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30725, 14 April 1965, Page 3

Stoppage For Three Hours

(New Zealand Press Association)

DUNEDIN, April 13.

The City Council transport department bus stoppage, which lasted almost three hours in Dunedin this morning, passed unnoticed by most city residents.

Early morning services continued until about 9 a.m. This enabled shop, office and factory workers to travel to their jobs.

The central shopping area did not seem as busy as usual during the morning, but in the afternoon the numbers of shoppers increased to slightly more than usual.

The president of the Otago Retailers’ Association (Mr Arthur Barnett) said as far as he knew there was no real decrease in business this morning.

Taxi firms were busier than usual throughout the morning, although at no time did the amount of work become too much for the number of cars. Delays were no longer than 10 to 15 minutes.

Some private motorists stopped to pick up people walking towards the city from suburbs, but most were left to walk.

A number of people were not aware there was to be a bus stoppage. Taxi-drivers reported picking up many people who complained they had waited some time for a bus and none had come.

The general manager of the City Council Transport Department, Mr M. G. Collins, said the resumption of services went smoothly. The meeting was over by 11.45 a.m., and the first diesel buses left the depot about 11.53 a.m. Diesel bus services from the city began about noon and trolley bus services about 15 minutes later, he said. The secretary of the New Zealand Tramways Union, Mr P. A. Hansen, would not comment on the meeting. The president of the Dunedin union, Mr S. E. Blondell,

also would not comment apart from saying that the 140 to 150 members who attended were almost the full number apart from those on sick leave and on holiday.