CARS IN CUBA STREET

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2162, 30 May 1914, Page 6

CARS IN CUBA STREET

9 — SHOPS SUFFER THE SERVICE INADEQUATE DOUBLE THE LINE? A plea for ii ir.ore frequent scrvico of tram-cars through. Cuba- Street was put forward, yesterday by a deputation (representative of _ shdp-lwflpers in that thoroughfare) which waited ojx title Mayor (Mr. J, P, Luke). Broadly ■speaking tie desire was to have the traffio expedited along tile street and it was suggested that the track should be deplicatod, j Councillor Godber introduced the deputation. Ho staled that complaints were being made by users of the Cuba Street trams about tie inadequate service. The street was recognised as the middlo-class shopping centro of the city, and. now that the Karon service tad been diverted to Oourtenay Place, the trouble lad been accentuated.

STREET & ITS TRADE. IMPORTANCE OF OAR SERVICE. Mr. W. Allan said ths shop-keepers had been brought, to realise the importance of a batter -service ill the street by tho complaints of customers regarding tho infi-equency of the trams, 'i'hoy had come to ask that thWe should be at. least a five-minutes' service way—at all events, during shopping hours. At.present it Was only.during rush, hours that there Was "a fiveminutes' fierric-e, and, in such houts, nobody was doing any shopping. The deputation -suggested that the Karori trains, should Be run through CubaStreet as formerly, and they also would urge'. that th&o should bo a regular service through Cuba Street from all the suburban lines—-Karon, Island Bay, Constable Street, -Newtown., and Thorn-! don. The street, was quite as wide as ■Manners Street, so that lack'of space could not be advanced as a reason against the-duplication of the track.' lie. suggested also that a short lino should be.laid up Ingest-ro, Street, on .which cars csuld wait during mcaihour rushes aiMi on- Saturday., nights. This would relieve the congestion, which now made it difficult for passengers to board' cars at-tho. Vivian Street corner at rush hours. At such times all cars were' packed, an 4 now that- the carrying capacity of the trains had beer. ,reduced';by t'-ho. inirodtieiioft of'cptit-wv aisles, travellm.t; had: become stiU more uncomfortable. As it was iim now the Wallace Street line was .a white elephant, • and ho would suggest that,' if tho cars wcro . swt aloug. .Moaners Street, that arrangement would serve mora people, No- Jer* .vois Quay oar came . through Cuba Street. This meant that people travelling into the City alone that route had i. to pay 2d. to reach Cuba Street, Mx. A. A, George «.n:.phnsised tile contention that Cuba Street was ■ now quite' cut off frsiß tl® suburbs; Ho thought that tho cost dupti.catmg the lino would not bo considera)>!.'.». ~- Mr- T. ;P, Halpin jointed- out IFm: the long niiervais without trams in. Cuba Street wero vesatiotiS, Mr. D. S. Patrick: protested against tho apparent tendency on tho part oi tho authorities to diwrt as many ears as possible by way of Co-nrt-chay Plaec. Tiiis was the worse for shopkeepers bocauso rates and rents Wei-o very high in Cuba Street. ■

MAYOR'S REPLY. IN FAVOUR OF DOUBLE Llksi; The Mayor replied that he would bo pleased to bring the matter before the' Tramways Committed of the City Council. Ho believed that tho Ctiba Street i and,Viyian Si.r<vu- pgo-pie had ft posillvo for a gfiod train service,' setjifig that in the old horse-car days, this had been tho- main route,, mid "people- had invested thp.ir capital there. On tho other, hand, them were peoplo who wished to get out of «io City, of irsto it, as speedily ®s_ pflS-siMe, and,, no doubt, itwas to suit' their convenience! that changes in tho routes had been made. Nevertheless, the obligation was on the [ City .Cou-|ici-t to afford people the faeili-* [ties which they required to gat to'the. places . where i they wished to do business. , The objection to doiihlin-s thn Hfte. on the score of th© congested state of Cuba Street would not hold good, as Manners' Street was iftoro congested I than Cuba Street.. H« had Tepcaic.div said that loops, or tram lines weto'iriconvcnier.t, and his opinion was, that a double lino in Cuba Street would facilitate traffic, A proposal to duplicate tho line through Cuba Street, and Vivian Street t-a- Kent Terrace would have his hoarty support- The suggestion that cars from. Island Bay and other suburbs should pin through Cuba Street would be considered by the committee and tho board. Ho did not- think that tho Ingest.ro Street proposal would bo taken up just now, but later it niiaht bo deemed advisable to lay a- ' line through that street to Willis Street, He promised that the Matters brought forward by tho deputation would be considered fully by the council and by tho committee and the beard. -

Mr. Allan offered tho suggestion thatan addition might be made to the loan schedule- to cija-ble the tvork to be un» dertaken.