REDUCTION IN SOME BUS SERVICES

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33061, 31 October 1972, Page 1

REDUCTION IN SOME BUS SERVICES

The Christchurch Transport Board has authorised the curtailment of some suburban services as the result of a comprehensive passenger survey conducted by the works and traffic committee earlier this year.

Broadly, the board proposes to reduce neglected services on week-day evenings and on Saturdays. The board has established that some services attract practically no passengers.

Patronage of Saturday services—notably in the evenings—is unreasonably low. The best period of patronage is before and after Saturday afternoon cinemas when most of the passengers are children paying half fares, and this revenue falls far short of the cost of providing the service.

In detail, the board plans to revise Saturday services as follows: Cashmere-Papanui: The new timetable planned will reduce the number of trips after 2.30 p.m. from 41 to 34. The service will give sufficient coverage for theatre loadings.

Dallington-Bryndwr: The deletion of one trip between 4.30 p.m. and 5 p.m. and three trips after 10 p.m., providing a new theatre bus at 10.40 p.m.

Riccarton-Sumner: A reduction in trips to Sumner from 30 to 25 after noon and to Riccarton from 34 to 31.

Mays Road-Wainoni: Four trips will be deleted between 7 p.m. and 10.40 p.m. on the Mays Road leg. There will be 16 trips to Wainoni at one hour frequency. There will be one after-theatre bus at 10.40 p.m. Marshlands Road-Opawa: Marshlands Road will be connected to Opawa and a 30- ! minute frequency continued ' all day, with one theatre trip at 10.40 p.m. St Martins-Somerfield: The frequency will be extended to 45 minutes with one aftertheatre trip.

Spreydon-St Albans: Frequency will be extended to 30 minutes on the Spreydon leg with the St Albans leg unaltered, and only one aftertheatre bus at 10.40 p.m. North Beach-Shirley: The 30-minute frequency should remain as will two after-

theatre trips to North Beach. There will be one to Shirley. Springs Road: No alteration.

Templeton: No alteration except for slight re-timing. Bromley: Discontinuation of the present four services.

Avonside: Discontinuation of all Saturday services. Huntsbury: Deletion of the two trips running. The curtailment of weekday services will mean reducing the frequency of service to 30 minutes after 6 p.m. instead of 7.45 p.m. Additional services will not be introduced at midday to cater for those who formerly went home to lunch. Late loadings for aftertheatre patrons will be the same as on Saturdays—one bus at 10.40 p.m. Further consideration is to be given to the week-day services provided for Fendai-ton-Opawa, Marshlands Road, Wainoni, Mays Road-Brigh-ton and Lyttelton.

On the North Beach service it is likely that there will be fewer trips along Bowhill Road and more along Beach Road.