Evening bus cuts 4550,000 saving’

Press, 7 November 1978, Page 6

Evening bus cuts 4 550,000 saving’

Cuts in the Christchurch Transport Board’s evening bus services would save the board about $50,000 a year, according to its general manager (Mr M. G. Taylor).

Mr Taylor was giving evi-; dence yesterday in support of the board’s application for cuts, to the No. 9 Transport District Licensing Authority (Mr D. L. Hogan). I The application is opposed• by the Tramways Union, the Bus Action Group, the ■ Trades Council, a group of' Post Office employees, a private citizen (Mr J. A. ( Welsh) and a member of the: board itself (Mr T. N. D. | Anderson). Mr Taylor said that a survey done by the board in August, 1977, had shown that the patronage of most evening trips was minimal. As the main cost of a bus service was the drivers’ wages significant economies could be effected by reduc-j tions in these wages, said I Mr Taylor. By adjusting timetables and “pruning” trips which were poorly patronised, it would be "possible to in-, crease the number of “broken” shifts worked by! drivers. By this means, the number i of staff required could be reduced by six, saving about $65,000 each year, he said. Against this would be the loss of revenue from the reduction in patrongage. As-

isuming this to be about 101 per cent, the saving would | i be $50,000. Mr Taylor emphasised, that the reduction in staff! would not mean sacking, ; existing employees. Natural( i turnover would “more than! (take care of the reductions,”l ' he said, and the desired staff 'level would be reached with- ( in a month, “by a minor ! pause in the hiring of new (staff.” i The proposed timetable alterations have given rise to exaggerated and emotional reactions from some people, ; said Mr Taylor. He believed however, that the impact of the changes would be minor, affecting a ; very small proportion of i patrons. These people would not be deprived of service, (but would have an in- ; significant variation in the I departure time of their ! buses. j Of the 7787 trips made ’.each week after the time the ’! proposed cuts would begin, only 594 — or 7.6 per cent I — would be affected. These 594 trips carried :ionly 3 per cent of the (board’s weekly patrons, said • Mr Taylor. Of them, 38 per • cent would either be un- • ' changed or have an alterna-

tive bus departing within five minutes of the existing time. Another 21.9 pre cent ( would have an alternative itime within 10 minutes, and another 12.8 per cent within 115 minutes. If approved by the authority, the timetable changes would be introduced on December 4, said Mr Taylor. Friday and Sunday services would not be affected. From Monday to Thursday, and on Saturday, buses leaving Cathedral Square for most destinations, after 7.45 p.m., would leave about hourly, he said. Buses would leave at 7.45 p.m,; 8.40 p.m., 9.35 p.m., and 10.45 p.m. for the following destinations: Papanui, Cashmere, Sumner, Cranford Street, New Brighton, Dallington, Wainoni, Lincoln Road, Riccarton, Fendalton, Marshland Road, St Martins, iOpawa, Spreydon, St Albans (Park, Bryndwr, North Beach jand Somerfield. Additional buses would (run at various interim times on several other routes. I As well as Mr Taylor’s (evidence, submissions oppos(ing the application were (made by the Tramways 'Union.