NO TRAMS

Evening Post, Volume C, Issue 47, 24 August 1920, Page 7

NO TRAMS

SUBURBAN RESIDENTS SUFFER GREAT INCONVENIENCE.

After running for Wo hours'last evening, the trams stopped running at 6.30 o'clock, and the p.m. shift had an unexpected evening off. Whether the men appreciated this or not it is difficult to say, for it was made fairly plain at the •City Council meeting to-day that ■ the men would not be paid for time so lost. The service had considerable difficulty in coping with the homeward traffic, and considerable inconvenience occurred. Again to-day there were no cars, and all the suburban roads to the city were thronged with workers from 7 o'clock until 9 o'clock. Many arrived at the factory or workshop only to learn 'thafc> though their services were required, tJiey could not be employed owing to the absence- of power. For hundreds of peo; pie there was nothing left but to tramp back home again. Considerable sjm■.pathy was folt for those girls who had already tramped a,' couple of miles, and then faced tlie return journey. No cars ran again to-day, and every available, vehicle, except an occasional motor-car driven by a selfish driver who was the only occupant, coming in from the suburbs carried passengers. These passengers were not called upon to pay any fare; in fact, it appeared that few, if any, set out to profit by the misfortunes of the citizens. Free rides were the order of the day, and there were many expressions of kindly feelings towards the drivers, who appeared only too

■anxious to give pedestrians a .iii. vVkiio some motor-cars, as already stated, weia practically empty) others were overcrowded to. such an extent.ihat.tha spiiujs ' - were endangered. A case in point «;>s that of one car .which climbed • Cravrforu-' road with ten passengers. For tha Bicsfc part people from the eastern anh--urbs walked or vode through fciewtayrn. Some of the Lyall Bay people took the Melrose route , through ftewtown'Park. There was a constant stream of Xorthland and Karori pedestrians over Kelbum and down Mount-street, and the Brooklyn roads were particularly well patronised. Luckily the morning was fine, and the absence of cars gave the streets -what [..might be' termed ." the Sunday morning touch." The Kelburn cable cars 'were more crowded than. ever. ■.■'■■

Many push-bikes which had long been discarded, were pressed into service once again. . '