COMING DUEL.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1940, 24 December 1913, Page 6

COMING DUEL.

ON THE KARORI CAR ROUTES,

Tho advent of a motor-bus service in Wellington is no doubt of interest to tho whole of the Dominion. Next month a service is to bo instituted by the Kelbunio Motor-bus Company, which already lias one bus ready lor tho road. The buses aro to ply between the head of tho Karoi'i-Kelbunio Tramway Company's lino at Keiburno and Karori and will necessarily run in opposition to the Karori Borough Council's electric tramways . between tho tunnel and Karori proper. In September last it was the intention:;- of tho company to run tho buses between Kelbuvno and tho tunnel only; but since then, it has been decidcd to extend tho servico right on to Karori. ' Under an arrangement with the Karori-Keiburne Tramway Company tho latter' company' is to issuo concession tickets under which tho journey from Lambton Quay to the kiosk will only cost Id. Tho ruu per bus to the tunnel will cost another Id., and the section between the tunnel and tho cemetery gates a third Id.—3d, in all, as compared with 4d, by tho electric, tramways. Tho difference in time is a still mora important factor in favour .of tho proposed new service, as it is anticipated that the journey from tho Quay to the tunnel will only occupy from ten to twelve minutes, whilst tho journey from tho san» point in town to the tunnel takes twenty-five minutes. ■ This being tho case, it appears that tho Karori Borough Council has a rather serious problem to face. Without any opposition tho Karori cars have never paid in the strict sense of tho word— that is, paid for the total running cost and interest on the capital expenditure, and assuming that only 'a proportion of the traffic between Karori and tlio City is diverted to Kclburno by the motorbuses, the position of the Borough Council is rather an awkward oho.

When seen in regard to tho matter Mr. Charles Cathie, Mayor of Karori, said that so far tho council" had not- decided to do anything in tho way of anticipating tho motor-bus opposition. They could not very well do so until tiicy saw in what manner the electric tramway service would bo affected, but ho said that ho had explained to many Karori people that if tlie.y took advantage of a cheaper service they- would havo to pay for it in another, way (meaning an increase in tho rates), so that tho Mining of the motor-bus may not altogether Be an unmixed'blessing to tho good folk of Karori. -.

At present the Karori Borough Council works its tramway system under ail agreement with tho Wellington City Council. It pays tho City Council tho sum of Is. per car-mile, and the obligations of the City includo: (a) Tho provision of necessary Cars and of motorraen and conductors; <b) tho cleaning of rails and. tho levelling up of tho trnck except where tho track is damaged by slips, tempests, earthquakes, or wilful injury.