Much Greater Use Of Tunnel Forecast

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30761, 27 May 1965, Page 1

Much Greater Use Of Tunnel Forecast

The transport industry would respond to the new reduced •Joods charges by making much greater use of the tunnel, said Mr N. S. Bidwell, chairman of the Christchurch Road Transport Association, in a letter received by the Christchurch-Lyttelton Road Tunnel Authority yesterday.

Air Bidwell said the industry looked for-

ward to action on a suggestion by the thority (Mr R. A. Witbrock) that charges would again be reduced when increased revenue permitted this.

A letter from A. R. Guthrey, Ltd., said it expected that the cartage of wool from its dump store to ships through the tunnel would be greatly increased in the next wool season. The firm used the tunnel to cart ‘.’527 bales of wool last month.

Another company which had been using the tunnel for bulk cartage, expressed its thanks to the authority for the toll reductions. Its saving would be £375 a shipment of which there were about four a year.

Regular users of the tun-

nel such as waterside workers and Harbour Board employees had asked whether they could be considered for concessions in the future, Mr L. G. Amos said. “What we have done at the moment is within the scope of our present financial framework," Mr Witbrock said.

It had been agreed that the ordinary traffic to and from Lyttelton was not sufficient to return the full costs, so the authority had to impose a goods toll to try to make ends meet. “Our first duty is to get rid of that levy on goods." Mr Witbrock said. “Then we can give consideration to other users."

Persons were paying no more to use the tunnel than they were before the tunnel was put through, he added. “1 suggest that the halfcrown is saving people money,” Mr J. J. B. Connor said.