FERRY SERVICE

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 22, 28 January 1929, Page 10

FERRY SERVICE

A COMPLAINT

A correspondent ("Return") writes complaining of the arrangements made by the Eastbourne Borough Council for tho special trip by the steamer Muritai yesterday. Tho council's advertisement stated that the steamer would return to Petone from Day's Bay at 5 p.m., but the return trip was not made, and the writer was informed by a ticket collector that the Petone passengers would have to go home in a bus. The bus was already full when it reached Day's Bay, and although some of the boat passengers managed to get in, several were left behind. No opportunity was given them to travel on their boat tickets in tho Wellington buses which camo along subsequently. The advertisement stated that every consideration would be given to Petone visitors to the Bay, but no notice of the cancellation of the return trip was given. Tho correspondent asks whether the council, having advertised tho round trip, is not-legally bound to complete the contract.

On inquiry at the council's offices this morning, a "Post" reporter was informed that a special bus for the Pctonc passengers on the boat had been provided, reaching Day's Bay at 5.15 p.m. Another bus loft the garage at Eastbourne at 4.30 p.m., picking up Petono passengers en route to Day's Bay, and it was apparently this bus which the correspondent and the other Petono residents had boarded. The special bus provided for them arrived empty at Day's Bay, and left with seats vacant. Tho reason for the cancellation of tho return trip was tho poor patronage of the excursion by Potonc residents, of whom only 35, mostly children, boarded tho Muritni. The council's regulations reserved the right to substitute boats for buses or vice versa, ' or to cancel trips without notice.