NEW HATAITAI BUS SERVICE

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 132, 15 December 1928, Page 8

NEW HATAITAI BUS SERVICE

(To the Editor.) Sir,-—Now that the new bus service has been running for a clear week, I propose placing my views before the authorities and general public, and in doing so may I state that my views are also held by dozens of Hataitai residents, who have studied the new service from the point of view of being a service that is likely to attract sufficient business to wan-ant it being kept going. In endeavouring to etudy a new service such as this there are two points to consider most carefully, the first being the question of the fares charged, and the second question being in regard to the route taken and the time-table. Of most importance I class the "fare question, for on the rates charged depends to the greatest extent the success or otherwise of the venture. Now, Sir, for people travelling from the Hataitai School to Courtenay place the faro is fivepencc, which amount is far too high to attract the persons that this new service was instituted to attract. To my mind, if the Tramway Department were to charge fourpence cash fare and institute concession tickets for twelve rides for three shil--.Kng§ they souk| a* jgog pos tSif §««<«-

on a paying basis. It will be said that this suggestion is absurd, and comes from one who has not studied the transport question very much. My answer is that if the Tramways Department can afford to carry tramway passengers from Lambton. Station to Miramar, Seatoun, Lyall Bay, and us far as Island Bay for a threepenny, concession ticket, then surely threepence would pay for a trip from Courtenay place to the Hataitai School. If the Tramway Department say it would not pay, then, all I can say it that it cannot pay to carry the tram passengers to these other suburbs for a threepence concession ticket, I have heard, it said that the Tramways Department is not over-keeji on this new. service, and hopes by not Viaking it pay to be able to withdraw it early in the New Year. By charging fivepenco'. f are it is going to succeed in killing the project. The part that baffles me is why the department splits Grai'ron road up into two sections from the school to the fire station corner at Roseneath. I happen to live near the school, and it only takes me five minutes to walk these two sections, and yet the fare is threepence for that short distance. My strongest advice to the department is to make from the school to Roseneath one section instead of two; thereby making the fare one penny less. Last week my wife and I, with two of our children, travelled from the school to Courtenay place and back again, and the fare ran us into the respectable total of two shillings and fourpence. I think that should speak for itself, and show the department that on that basis it is not likely to attract business. 1 had occasion recently to travel on the Northland bus which leaves the Te Aro Post Office and takes you to the Northland suburb for sixpence, and, to my mind, the'distance to Northland is twice as far as Hataitai School isfrom Courtenay place. (I would like to hear some expert opinion as to whether I am right as to the difference in the two distances.) Perhaps the department will say that the Northland bus has more climbing to do, but don't forget that the Hataitai bus has a good hill climb from Oriental Bay tram terminus to the beginning of Grafton road. Whichever way you look at the question, of the fares being charged on this new service you can only arrive at the one conclusion—-namely, that the charge of fivepence from the school to Courteuay place is out of all proportion to the distance covered. I appeal to the department! to get busy and go into this question and give the service a chance of proving successful. Charge threepence on a concession basis and the buses will be well patronised and the service made a payable proposition. With the time-table I have not so much, fault to find with, but one or two suggestions from one living in the district might be of use to the department. When I (and numbers of others) heard that a bus service was to be run from Courtenay place to the school we rejoiced in the fact that we could at last go home for lunch between 12 and 2 o'clock. Consider our dismay when we found out by the time-table that the service to the school does not commence till 2 o'clock iv the afternoon. What a grand opportunity the department had of capturing a proportion of the lunch-hour traffic by running a suitable service between the hours I have named. Surely some of the buses that come up as faras Koseneath at lunch time could easily run round to the school at Hataitai. Even if, only one trip each hour was made it would more than pay, and be of service to the residents. Ipass this suggestion on to the authorities in the hope that some kind of lunch-hour service will be added to the time-table. The other suggestion I have to make is that a couple of the trips which come up to the school between 7 and 8 o'clock in the evening should continue down as far as the tram at Hataitai terminus. I- am confident this would fill a long-felt wnat, and respectfully recommend the suggestion to the earnest consideration of the tramway officials. In conclusion, may I state that I have endeavoured to put forward "constructive" criticism and not criticism of a "destructive" nature, and trust that the depart-ment-will carefully consider the various points I have raised. I appeal to other Hataitai residents to give their opinions on the new bus service.—l am, etc., BUS SUPPORTER.