RAIL AND ROAD

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 53, 26 November 1928, Page 13

RAIL AND ROAD

TRANSPORTATION SERVICE TOURIST LEAGUE AND NATIONAL BOARD “The advent of the motor-car and its use on long distance routes in competition with the State railway service has created something of a problem in New Zealand,” states a bulletin issued by the New Zealand Tourist League, of Auckland. “The service car is performing a useful function in many places and its position in the transportation of the Dominion must be reckoned with. It is no use condemning one or other method of transport, both have their useful parts to play, and what difficulties have arisen must be solved. in a spirit of co-ordination,” it continues. “The State has over £50,000,000 invested in the railways, and the management is naturally desirous of making them pay their way. If for various reasons deficits have to be provided for, then the general taxpayers, who, in many cases may be non-users, will have to bear the loss. There is no doubt that the railway system will always be necessary for the major development of the country in moving our products, transferring goods, and carrying passengers. For comfortable travelling, and particularly over long distances, it will probably continue to be popular with the majority of travellers. Its interests, therefore, must be protected from unfair competition. In addition to passenger car competition it has been subject to the inroads of lorries carrying the cream of freight traffic, leaving it to move the low-rate traffic, and it is a question whether the State should be expected to disburse large sums to build good roads to make it easier for a competing service to carry goods at a few pence a ton cheaper for a comparatively few people. For the Department to take the initiative in this direction would be unwise and looked upon as persecution of its trading opponents and an unfair use of the power of a state concern. “Our suggestion is that a National Transportation Board should be set up. To save expense and possibly secure men with more local knowledge, it might be desirable to have one or two boards for each island in the same proportion of membership. The constitution would be:—2 motor transport interests, 1 Government railways, 1 Government Tourist Bureau, 1 Highway Board, chambers of commerce or similarge business groups. “Division of areas:—Auckland, Taranaki, Gisborne, Wangannui, Hawke’s Bay, Wairarapa, Wellington, Marlborough, Nelson, Westland, Canterbury, Otago, Southland. "The representation of the Highways Board would ensure that the special interests of the ratepayers would be watched to see that surplus Services are not run on roads at speeds and weights they were not built for. Otherwise this delegate might adopt a neutral attitude between the different Interests.

"The Government Tourist Office, being in touch with the requirements of oversea tourists and local travellers, will assist in pressing for comfortable nnd safe service, reasonable fares and proper time tables. While it might be raid that this would give a majority to official interests, still the object is to co-ordinate services in the interests of all parties and the plan is well worth a trial. If service car propriettors can get some security of tenure, they ought to be able to put on better ears and find no difficulty in complying with the conditions suggested. "The board should have the power in Issuing licenses to say how many services and cars can be run on particular routes. They shall approve the time tables and fares and require a standard type of car and its maintennnee and fitness of drivers. They shall regulate the speeds (and weights) on different sections of the routes and shall insist on adequate insurance cover policies. It should not be found impossible to dovetail the time-tables in with those of the Railway Department.