COOK STRAIT AIRWAYS

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 200, 21 May 1936, Page 10

COOK STRAIT AIRWAYS

Wellington-Blenheim Fare Too Low A REQUEST DECLINED By Telegraph—Press Association. Blenheim, Al ay 20. Following representations already made to the Alinister of Transport for authority to increase tlie passenger fare between Blenheim and AA ellington from 25/- to 30/-, a representative of Cook Strait Airways this afternoon conferred with the Blenheim Borough Council and the Marlborough Progress League, which had protested against the company’s original proposal of a fare of 35/- when the service was first inaugurated. The company s representative, with the object of gaining the local bodies’ support for the proposed revised fare, submitted details of the financial result, of the first quarters operations, stressing the fact that the company was losing money at the rate of approximately £5OOO annually, making an increase on the BlenheimWellington fare justified. Incidentally, he paid recognition to tlie Marlborough community’s air-mindedness, which exceeded that of any other part .of tlie Dominion and had resulted in really excellent support for the service. While appreciating tlie difficulties confronting tlie company, the local body representatives still considered an increase not justified, as Blenheim was making full use of the service. In fact, it would be able to provide passengers for at least two extra planes daily. Further, it was considered that four mouths’ operation of the service was insufficient time to determine the adequacy or otherwise of the fares.