Ban On Buses Cuts Park Patronage

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31676, 11 May 1968, Page 23

Ban On Buses Cuts Park Patronage

An estimated 60,100 persons visited the Arthur’s Pass 1 National Park in the year ended March 31, compared with 69,800 in the previous year, the chairman of the park board (Mr M. J. Fitzgerald) said in his report presented at the board’s annual

meeting. The only set-back to the progress of the park during the year had been the ban on buses over the Otira-Arthur’s Pass section of the highway. Because of this an estimated 8000 to 10,000 persons had failed to see the park on their way to or from the West Coast The buses now had to go through the Lewis Pass, which added two hours and a half to the driving time. This made too long a day for passengers, and the tours had to stop short of Franz Josef.

The change of route had also had a depressing effect on trade in the pass, particularly at the restaurant, which was an amenity the park could not afford to lose. “The brighter side of the picture is that the National Roads Board has told the park board that there is no reason why the highway cannot be

upgraded to the standard of the new road through the Buller Gorge. It would have to wait, however, until sealing of the Lewis Pass, Buller Gorge and Haast roads had been completed. "The chairman of the Roads Board promised that in the meantime his board would do what it could to improve the existing road enough to lift the ban.” Mr Fitzgerald said that of the visitors to the park during the year about 12,600 used the park centre and museum in some way or other. Rangers conducted guided walks, gave talks and ran an adventure eamp for boys between the ages of 10 and 13. Two advisers on school science ran sessions as part of the park’s Christmas holiday programme, and 5703 persons took advantage of these services.