“A HORNET’S NEST”

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 144, 14 March 1931, Page 8

“A HORNET’S NEST”

Suburban Bus Stands MOVE TO SEGREGATE Deputation to Council “I thought we might be rousing a hornet’s nest, but I did not think it would be such a big one,” said the Chairman of ’ the by-laws committee (Councillor M. F. Luckie) on the en- . sr trance of a deputation of about tenth-*-people interested in the council's pro-’-rsr posal to place all the suburban bus ' Stands in Bunny, Whitmore, and Stout U'. Streets, instead of at various about the city. The only exception’ made is that of the Bell Bus Company. 11 which will continue to occupy Bowen Street. Mr. P. Macassey, representing the Railway Department, said that its buses served three-quarters of a million people, .- ' in the year in its services to Lower Hutt, and Moe'ra, the operation of which offered nd competition with the./,,' city tramways, as they were a continua-. - tion of that service. People stepped-from the trams on to the buses. If the ?.' were to put the stand back to Stout "; ,;: Street the people would have to walk another 300 or 400 vards. The chairman pointed out that the pre- .. sent stand for the railway buses was in ' the narrowest parj; of Featherston Street, and the space in front of the Lambton Station was the only entrance into Wellington. There was often a blockage of traffic there. Mr. Macassey : The assemblage of thirty buses of the different services was going to cause a worse state of affairs further up. Councillor Luckie mentioned that .the buses dould make a stopping place at the site of the present stand, so there would be no necessity for people to walk 300 or 400 yards as suggested. Serious Problem. “There are great difficulties there,” said Councillor W. H. Bennett. “The congestion is so serious on occasions that it is hard to get through. What is going to happen in a few years I don’t know. The space” between the foot'of Mulgrave Streetand the station, as the only main entrance to the city, presents a most serious traffic problem in the city.” Mr. G. G. Watson, representing Mr. J. S. Crichton, proprietor of the Johnsonville buses, argued that the proposed change as far as they were concerned was not going to help solve the traffic problem. The council was proposing to assemble some 30 buses within 100 yards or so, ; around the Government Buildings and telephone exchange—places where between 8 and 9 a.m. and 5 and 6 p.m. there was very heavy ' traffic. ■ Mr. A. A. Moore, chairman of the John-1 sonville Town Board, endorsed Mr. Wat- . son’s views, mentioning as an added argument that there was nothing in the way of shelter for waiting passengers in the afreets mentioned as the new termini. Mr. E. W. Wise, chairman of the Eastbourne Transport Committee, said he did not see how their buses could cause congestion as they used the back street, except for a bit of Featherston Street. . Mr. Luckie thanked the deputation, and promised that their views would receive the fullest confirmation.

The matter was eventually referred to the tramways committee for further consideration.