BUS SERVICE WANTED

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 70, 23 March 1926, Page 9

BUS SERVICE WANTED

FOR VOGELTOWN AND

MORNINGTON

COUNCIL TAKEN TO TASK

LETTER TO MINISTER OP PUBLIC WORKS.

The following letter, complaining of the alleged unreasonable attitude of the City Council in regard to the provision of a bus service for Vogeltotvn and Mornington and towards a private bus company which offered to institute a service some time ago, has been sent to the Minister of Public Works iy the secretary of the Vogeltown and Moruington Municipal Electors' Association as indicating tho views of He members of the association: — "I am directed by my association to draw your attention to the situation which lias arisen in our district as a result of the City Council being placed in a position which enables it to ignore with placid impunity all public and private protests on the subject of t»e extension of reasonable transport facilities to the outlying districts. "The plain facts of the case are — In July-August, 1925, the Wellington Suburban Motor Bus Company was prepared to run a service immediately from the Kidgeway, Mornington, to Lambtoii station, provided that the CL;y Council would modify its prescribed route to allow the company to use Mills road from the Ridgeway to Vennell street," and Willis street from Abel Smith street to Ghuznee street, the latter street to be used to give access to Taranaki street in preference to the former. The council, which had already definitely and absolutely refused to allow the company to use Washington avenue, then further refused to accede to this most reasonable request. On the 19th instant Mr. M'Donald, the general manager. of the company, assured me .by telephone that the foregoing offer still holds good. "Naturally, the council's attitude compelled it to consider the institution of a municipal bus service in the district. On 22nd December last I received from the Town Clerk a letter stating that it had teen decided to run a bus service to Mornington by way of Washington avenue, although this thor-.j oughfare had been so definitely prohibited to the Wellington Motor Bus Company. In passing, .it may be pointed out that there appears to be no valid reason why the universal fare should not apply, as it would have done had the tramway itself been extended to Mornington. ■ "It now transpires that, although an interval of nearly three months has elapsed, and the winter season is hard upon us, the council, pursuing the usual even tenor of its inimitable way, has just given the general manager of tramways authority tq call for tenders for a suitable pair of vehicles. I understand that it may even be necessary to send Home for the buses in question, as the council prefers the British article whenever procurable: I hold a letter dated 18th instant from, the Town Clerk saying that he is unable at the present time to state definitely when the service will be in operation. In the meantime, the residents of Vogeltown ard Mornington—and there are more of them than is commonly supposed—instead of having enjoyed for a period of some eight months the smooth-run-ning and highly efficient service usually provided by private enterprise, will, have their annual privilege of risking a neckful of cold water twice a day for about four-days in every seven during the winter season. It is superfluous tn add that under, such circumstances the average mair'svloyalty to lan abstract principle. 'in' -a.'little -matter of ;this sort is apt to wear a trifle thin. "We hold no brief for private enterprise, as such. What we want—and quickly, no matter whence it comes— is a bus service, and what we cannot overlook is the fact that for eight long months private enterprise has been ready at any time to place such a service at our disposal, while the City Council potters about vainly trying to t evolve a definite idea on the subject. Yet this body aspires to being the sole arbiter of the destinies of urban and suburban transport in this cityt "From the foregoing facts, I submit that the council's handling of this matter may be fairly described as a series of glaring inconsistencies and flagrant breaches of faith. The case itself may be relatively unimportant, but it involves a very big principle. I have, then, respectfully to request, sir, that this letter be referred to his Worship the Mayor, and that, he ba asked to show real cause why either the council's own service should not be instituted at once, or a reasonable' route approved forthwith to enable a private company to supply this long-standing necessity in our district. The council's present 'dog-in-the-manger' attitude appears to be wholly indefensible. It should be clearly brought home to them that the public cannot be indefinitely put off With- platitudes, and that henceforth there must be 'less government in business' of this kind. His Worship has said that the question has not been an easy one to make a quick decision about—l can assure him. that no one in this district accuses him of precipitance in connection with it." • . . '