KARORI TRAM SERVICE

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 189, 9 May 1934, Page 11

KARORI TRAM SERVICE

Official Reply to Criticism Following a number of complaints from Karori residents, in the form ot' letters to the Editor of “The Dominion,” regarding the tram service to that suburb, some inquiries were made at the traffic office yesterday. In the first place, Mr. D. McGillivray, the traffic manager, stated that there had been no curtailment in the service to and from Karori since 1931, when a rearrangement was made of all suburban services, following upon a serious decrease in the revenue returns. From the tone of some of the letters, be said, the implication was conveyed that there had been recent, further curtailment, but such was not the case.. As a matter of fact since 1931 two extra trams had been placed ou the service on wet days—one al 8.17 a.m. from the chambers for school children and another from Church Hill. These extra cars had been placed in commission in spite of the fact that returns had not picked up to anything like the 1931 level—indeed they were still away below it. There was nothing to justify a better service than was being given at present. Mr. McGillivray said that at the present time there was a ten-minute service to aud from the old Karori Borough Chambers and the city, and a twenty-minute service to Karori Park. The evening service between 7.30 p.m. and 9 p.m. had been improved by running one e,xtra car to the chambers and another to Church Hill only.

In regard to the overcrowding of peak-load cars between 4.30 p.m. and 6 p.m., one correspondent stated that this went on without the inspectors taking any notice of the matter. In rebutting that statement, Mr. McGil. livray produced a report from Inspector Dowding, who had noticed the overloading and recommended some relief. As the result extra cars were now being dispatched from Courtenay Place to Karori at 4.56 p.m. and 5.38 p.m. daily. Two factors probably accounted for the complaints made, said Mr. McGillivray. One was the recent spell of wet weather, and the other was the fact that since the reduction in. the price of the concession tickets it has been noticed that people coming into the city were less inclined than they were to leave the cars at the Botanical Gardens and walk into town via Sydney Street. They similarly boarded the'cars in town instead of walking to the gardens for the outward journey. As a matter of fact, the new 1/concession ticket (which gives its owner ten one-section rides) has been a great success ever since its introduction. >' '