"ADEQUATE SERVICE"

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 81, 2 October 1924, Page 6

"ADEQUATE SERVICE"

\ TRAMCAR CAPACITY

LH_ IN THE SUBURBS.

(By "H.")

The two most sadly-worn statements made in regard to the city's trams are that they are always full, and that only an adequate service can bring about that desirable, state of affairs in which a majority of citizens will live beyond the actual city area. The first statement is made twice a day, at least, by every suburbanite, once in the. morning as he stands on the way to work, again as he stands in the evening getting home from ■work. The second is the standby, of everyone, whether he stands, in and out, or merely, walks half a mile to his flat, ■which is to be interpreted as meaning two rooms and the use of conveniences. A few months' residence in the suburbs, however,-has convinced-"H" that neither statement is1 altogether correct. Practically 'speaking, cars are never full; they may look fpll at one stop, but appearances are quite deceptive; they are., not ..full. So .much .depends upon whether the conductor is a reasonable person-or not, and, unfortunately, there.are conductors who are not as considerate -as others. For instance, one--will--allow- 45 passengers- to stand in various positions, around, among, or on top of the seated passengers; another ■will not protest unduly at 50 straphangers and - strap-seekers (for not 50 : straps can be provided in the ceiling space available), whereas another will refuse point-blank to allow one more than a bare 40 to find standing room; . his_ is iin .unreasonable ruling. But, so is the ruling against more than £0, for another half-dozen would not make so very much difference. As a matter of :fact,..'.'H'.', has.,riot counted 50 standing passengers upon a rush-hour car, but he has counted • 47. It is extremely difficult to move. the. head .sufficiently freely to count accurately when the car is fuller- than -that.

The latest combination cars officially seat, in their two cabins and open compartments 37 passengers, but in practice four more may sit by sharing the four corner seats-and-a-half. .Seated and standing, therefore, the 47 car mentioned above brought- 88 suburbanites to town, and perhaps carried 88 home again.. A staunch car for a staunch, job. The doubt as to the truth of the second tramway axiom arises from a calm consideration of the facts of the loading of cars'during the morning rush to town. "H" is inclined to the opinion, even in the face of so many opinions to the contrary, that an inadequate service is a first-rate "inducement to .folk to live in the suburbs,'and as far from the city termini as possible, the reasoning being that only the suburbanite who lives right at the outer terminus has any chance at all of getting a seat on his way to town. If he lives two sections out he stands; three sections, he'stands; four sections, he stands; but.five sections, and providing he is willing to rush it, he sits. However, here is another distinct danger; in a few. years' time areas round about suburban termini will become even more seriously congested than the city area. Perhaps, after all, an adequate service is required. .

To the active only go the seats, and consequently, morning and afternoon the year round, except for school holidays, adults , perforce f.tand for the twentyminute trip to or from town. The fault is doubly theirs! First, because their good manners as a rule restrain them from unduly rushing for the boarding step ; secondly, because for one reason or another they fail to inculcate into youngsters an equal sense of restraint and re'asonable'respect for good manners generally.

There is a fairly general understanding, that men shall stand while women sit r .but that understanding is not understood' by school children, even though adults pay heavily in the course of the year for the privilege of standing while school children get along very comfortably at school concession rates.

- However, a very happy time is some day coming; the time when the new tramway workshops at Kilbirnie are at last put nnder way, and when new tramcars shall run upon the lines almost daily. Perhaps, even, Wellington may some day adopt a rule that so many passengers shall stand and no more, a. definite rule, not something left to the discretion of the conductor, who may, as a. human being, being unreasonable, object to more than .40,,