timetables

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33121, 11 January 1973, Page 8

timetables

Sir.—l want to share with you the Christchurch Trans-

port Board's recipe for not decreasing the deficit in running their buses. In one of the busiest weeks of the year, they make a considerable change in the bus route “linkage” and timetable. Then they fail to estimate the demand for the new timetables, so that tired and busy shoppers must make several visits to the few selling depots, only to be told to! “Come back later,” and then the next time — “Well, try again this afternoon.” Nor are we offered a map to show w’here, except in the Square, to join our bus which has had its linkage changed. I. for one, despite attempts to find out the new route, had the doubtful pleasure of missing my bus because I had been wrongly directed. Though I have been a regular user of public transport all my life, my advice now is, “Take a taxi.” — Yours, etc., 60 PLUS AND FEELING IT. i December 11. 1972.

[Mr J. F. Fardell, general manager of the Christchurch Transport Board, replies: “In the first place the changes had to be made to coincide with rhe [changed traffic arrangements in Cathedral Square. Secondlv, if the changes were not made at the time selected it would not have been possible under the terms of the employees’ award to have made the change for another 12 weeks, and no saving could have been made in this financial year. In regard to the time-tables, the sales of this issue have been unprecedented in the history of the undertaking. Fifty per cent more were printed than the sales of the previous issue, and experience over the years, including the conversion from trams to buses, has showm that a 50 per cent increase, for changes of this nature, has been more than sufficient to meet demand without too much wastage. The current demand has been 300 per cent above normal. We much regret this and apologise to anyone unable to obtain a time-table. Naturally, had we the preknowledge of what this demand would be, the initial printing would have been increased to cover the demand. No new routes were introduced. however; the changes in couplings were published in the press and on buses, while the stop changes in the Square were posted at each stop in the Square. The time periods of time-table changes lon week-days and the discontinuance of some services on ! Saturdays were also publi[cised in the press and buses.”]