Bus Service To Quay Suggested

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30738, 30 April 1965, Page 1

Bus Service To Quay Suggested

As an alternative to the provision of a temporary amenities block at Cashin quay, the National Amenities Committee had now suggested a bus service to take watersiders between Cashin quay and the Centennial Hall, said the secretary of the Lyttelton Waterside Workers’ Union (Mr R. Fergus) yesterday.

The committee suggested that the bus service be used for morning and afternoon tea breaks and in wet weather.

Mr Fergus said that though a meeting of the watersiders’ executive at lunch time yesterday had no objection to a bus service, the union considered that the service should also be made available for both starting and finishing times of minimum periods. This included the start and finish of morning and afternoon work.

The proposal by the National Amenities Committee, said Mr Fergus, was subject to assurances being received from shipping companies that Cashin quay berths would be used.

“The committee feels that, when the shipping companies give assurances the Lyttelton Harbour Board could provide temporary toilet facilities very quickly,” he said. “It has been pointed out that it would take another

month to get temporary amenities at Cashin quay started.”

Mr Fergus said the amenities committee expected permanent amenities at Cashin quay to be finished in November.

Mr Fergus said there were quite a few matters about the proposed bus service that needed clarification.

The proposal was for the bus to run about half a mile between Cashin quay and the Centennial Hall, which is the existing waterside workers’ amenities block near the inner harbour.

Mr Fergus said the proposed service was intended to run only until permanent amenities could be built at Cashin quay. If large overseas meat ships berth at Cashin quay before permanent amenities are built, as many as 130 watersiders could be. engaged on one ship. Bus trips daily for large numbers of watersiders would be extremely expensive in man-hours, observers say.