BUS VICTORY

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 80, 8 April 1929, Page 11

BUS VICTORY

IN NEW SOUTH WALES

TRANSPORT BILL SHELVED

(From "The Post's" Representative.) - -''. ' SYDNEY,-28th March.'

It seems' as though the persistent campaign of the Bus Publicity Committee of the Motor Traders' Association of New. South, Wales has- borne fruit, for the Transport Bill which it has been fighting for months has been shelved. . ; . '■■•■■ - For many weeks, and until prevented from doing so by the Police Department, every one of the 565 'buses in the metropolitan area carried a huge sign in letters of flaming red, "Does your M.L.A. know that you need the 'bus.?" Other, slogans were: "Co-ordination means elimination;" "Efficient motor transport-is Sydney's greatest need;" "Fight for the ,'bus.'.'. .: The Assistant Chief Secretary, in introducing the Transport Bill to a "weary assembly, explained that a commissioner, of--transport, woiild be appointed, and that he would be the chairman of two trusts, one in Sydney aud tho other in Newcastle;, which would control all- traffic '.except the railways. Each city would bo divided into five districts and each district would have representation on the trust, which would have .wide powers in the matter •of controlling both the- trams and the 'buses. Its word would be law. It could regulate both, just as it pleased. The trust would take over the trams, the value of which'would be set down at £8,000,000. After three years tho trusts would bo put, on an. elective basis. Whether the' view was justified or not it is -hard to say; but the 'bus proprietors imagined that the trust would have a definite bias in favour of the trams. Buses have become very popular in Sydney. No one will ride in a tram if he can get a 'bus.. The buses are more comfortable, more speedy, and less noisy than the trams.- The result is that' they have eaton seriously into the revenue of the trams. In addition to an excellent metropolitan service covering 445 miles, there are services to the distant suburbs and to some of the chief country' towns. In the metropolitan area the trams cover a road mileage of 179. There are 186 'bus, routes as against 199 tram routes, and of the 445 .road -miles covered by the buses, the buses'give a service of 325 miles independently of tram routes. The 'bus .systems are capitalised at £2,000----000. They pay £750,000 a year in wages and they carry 440,000 passengers a day. Buses have come to stay.