TRAMS AND BUSES

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 37, 12 February 1926, Page 6

TRAMS AND BUSES

(To the Editor.)

Sir, The point ,hap several times been raised in this controversy that the buses merely want to take "the cream-of the traffic." This argument seems to. me" to have no weight whatever. "■■■•■■■- A We want any and, every form ox competition that will enable the present overcrowded sta|e..,o£ -the traffic at rush/ times to be'relieved. ' The trams,, as we have seen during the past ten years, have been; unable to cope with it. In fact; their mismanagement has been such, that even with ■eandalous overcrowding they can barely pay. By the term "cream of the traffic .the tramway authorities mean the right''to overcrowd the cars. Let ft bylaw be made and enforced that no person is allowed .to stand in any public vehicle, whether bijs or. : tram, and then' leave" it to competition, to' see whether the buses or trams under these conditions can pick up the pasiengers. All progress in transport of passengers will be prevented if the policy proposed by. the tramway authorities; is adopted.

Three rush' periods were referred to by the tramway, authorities, and I presume 'they mean, broadly, 7.30 to 9 o'clock, 12 to 2 o'clock, and 4.30 to 6. o 'dock. This in itself is six hours of ths day when the trams had (and still have, notwithstanding bus competition) '"the cream of the traffic," Le., overcrowding. But in my experience morning and afternoon shopping keep the trams reasonably busy (often to overcrowding) during the remainder of the day, and then in the evening from 7 to 8 o'clock the theatre, music halls, and picture-show crowds .fill ■ the tranu and buses too, and from 10 to 11 o'clock, when these crowds want to go, home, ■ every Var is packed, there being more people standing^ than sitting. I have counted forty persons standing on such ears.

If, therefore, any bus chooses .to run even for one hour of the. day, it is relieving overcrowding and perfotming 'a public, service. I have spoken to dozens of suburban residents, and they all admit that they will take a bus at any time rather than an overcrowded tram, especially one that is insufficiently, .protected from the weather, such as the majority of' our tram cars. As for the trams being a city property,, they cannot make enough revenue to represent a substantial asset, whatever they might be as a private concern. The public; want the buses, at any rate 'as competitors of the trams, and any argument as to' their being city property is useless to the men and women who want a seat, in a ear, and who do not want to be pushed and jostled and have their feet trodden on by standing passengers. The tramway authorities realise that the public are against them, and consequently they want legislation to prevent ths public from, travelling in whatver way the public find most convenient.

In my opinion, the principal new law that i* required in the interest of the travelling public; and I recommend it to Mr: Coatee, is:—"No tram or motorbus shall travel with any passenger standing therein, no seating accommodation being at the time available for such a passenger. In any such case the penalty shall be £50 for each such offence,: recoverable as a simple contract debt in the Magistrate's Court by any person who sues for 1 it, the driver, conductor, and proprietor of the tram or motor-bus being jointly and severally liable^'—l am, etc., 10th February. ■***■■■