GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 118, 14 November 1925, Page 8

GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS

**B AMERICAN

The above-letter was submitted to the General manager of the tramways department (Mr? M. Cable), who remark- «/ that the correspondent.had evidently gained an incorrect impression as to tne Comparative numbers of. &$«& "* 'American machines ordered by the_ council The bulk of tho order had not been siven for the American bus, for twelve Enelish machines had been purchased and but six of tho Americans. He did not propose to ■ enter again into a discussion as to the merits of the two makes of machines: that question had already been considered and decided uponby the City Council. Both makes of bus would be upon the roads mtoe course of a few days,' and the public could-then make its own wnP*™ 0™As'to the question of the low loading line, it was to be noted by .any who were-interested in modern motor transport, and-by all who had. access to the latent motor trade publications, that certain of the English manufacturers had now turned to tHe low chassis, while several' otheTS, hitherto building only standard, high-level chassis, had now announced their intention of bmlding a chassis-particularly adapted, by means ot an'arching of the side members, to rive the low loading line. I A soundly | Established firm did not so alter its chassis design without .good reason, ana the reason was that the English maim- 1 fai&irer had now .recognised that the low" loading line had definite advantages in passenger transport service. -.- '<3ne of the new developments m motor Hrarisp ort overseas was the mst*itioa of de luxe services, said Mr. Cable, witt seats for all passengers carried, ■ arid a more &e6t and.speedy run to the destination, and it-was in such service that high-grade machines, such as the American buses in question, were particularly suitable Plainly such machines could not be economically operated upon severe hill runs such .as were found round Wellington, and upon those runs the other machines would be operated. Overseas experience was that people were.; quite willing to pay for tho de luxe ! service by a fard higher than the .usual cash tramway fare,- and, further, that the de luxe service built , up a business of its own, encouraging travelling in municipally owned vehicles on-the part of. people who had not regularly used the usual transport services. Whether that, would Ke so in Wellington had to be ascertained, and whether such a plan, would be instituted in Wellington would depend upon the policy adopted by tho City Council.