THE BUSES' WORK

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 55, 13 September 1928, Page 18

THE BUSES' WORK

WHEN TRAINS WERE "OFF" DEPARTMENT'S VIEW The current number of the "Now Zealand Railways Magazine" describes the work done by the- Kaihvay buses when, on 10th August, the sc;i took charge of the Hutt railway lino. On the morning of the Kith 128 trips were run, and 32 out of a total of 3,7 .buses were on the road. Approximately 2400 passengers were carried into the city before 9 a,m. In order to cope with the traffic and avoid delays to the travelling public, special efforts were made by the work-, shops staff, and at 3 p.m. every bus in the fleet of 37 was available for the road. By special arrangement - three buses (25-seaters) were hired from the' City Tramways, and one bus (25-soater) from Mr. C. Bentley, of Potone. These vehicles were used to augment our own fleet in coping with the traflu1 offering. In addition to this,. six Departmental motor-lorries were also seated in the shops with a total carrying capacity of 30 each, and those were used to convoy the workshops employees between Petono and Wellington. Tho result was j that forty-one buses wore availablo to handle the peak loading at 4 p.m. on the 16th, and at 5.45 p.m. 108 trips had been run and approximately 3000 passengers had been transported from Wellington to the Lower Hutt and intermediate areas. There was practically no delay, and at 6 p.m. the omnibus stand was clear and all passengers had been carried to their homes. On the morning of the 16tb 182 trips were run, motor-lorries' wore again engaged in this traffic, and. with tho loading offering steadily from 0.30 a.m., 100 trips were run between the Hutt area and the city. Thus approximately 2565 persons were carried into the city, and 562 from tho city to the suburbs, before 9 a.m. Single-line working on the line was restored about 4 p.m. on the 17th, and from that time onwards the- loading on the bus service was reduced, and passengers were handled without the aid of the lorries. It is noteworthy, adds tho article, that the lorries were pressed into this service at very short notice. They were fitted up with the seats which are used in the "Z luggage vans for race and holiday traffic. Tho temporary dislocation of the tram service certainly provided an example of what it is possible to do in order to improvise a road service at short notice. The workshops manager at Petone advises that fifty lorries (to seat 30 each) could be fitted up m the shops in eight hours. Commenting on the advantages oi State ownership, the article continues: — . "The Department came m for somo criticism regardr'3 its action in charging all passengers by the bus service tho ordinary fare, and refusing to accept season and workers' tickets on tho road motors. In thi3 connection it is worth pointing out that tho rights or the regular clients of the bus service had to be protected. Keally, tho State control of the railway and motor services in this area proved to bo in the best interest of all concerned. "It will be remembered that during the railway strike, when the buses were controlled by private owners, the public were charged 2s single trom Lower Hutt and Petone to Wellington, but with State ownership of both the transport services tho traffic was handled with the minimum of delay and at tho standard fare of Is single or Is Cclßeturn There was thus no oxploitation or. the travelling public by the Department. Passengers who travelled in the seated lorries wero charged 6d single between Wellington and Petone, this boing half the usual fare. "Tho outstanding feature of tho whole event was the excellent team work shown by maintenance, trafte workshops, and bus staffs in coping with this difficult emergency.