SUNDAY TRAMS

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 117, 20 May 1930, Page 10

SUNDAY TRAMS

A NORTHLAND PROTEST

REASON FOR DISCONTINUANCE

"Suprema a Situ" writes

. "Discontinuing the Sunday tram service to Northland is an injustice toratepayers and residents. After waiting nearly twenty years for a tram, the Cinderella suburb is told that the train service has been very costly. This is uhieily owing to the council's own incompcteney'and delay in the building, of a tunnel, therefore it is proposed.'to increase the revenue by running a bus service to town via Kelburu ;md Tlie Terrace. During the week days the exorbitant fare of 5d has been charged to Kelburn alone, whilo the bus capacity is about a-third that of a tramcar, and the comfort of the type of bus employed is nil. .' ■ _

'''It is argued that there is now a continual exottus to Eastbourne, Upper Hutt, and Pliminerton on Sundays. For motorists, certainty. As most of the councillors are motor-car owners it does not occur to them that in a city the size of Wellington, there are many ratepayers who neither desire nor can afford motor-cars, but who are equally entitled to enjoy an afternoon's outing within their means, or to have access to their homes so that their friends may visit them. Also, Sundays are the only opportunity for many to visit sick friends in l&spitals.

'' To say that Northland is not populated is idle. Any week day between the hours of 5 and G the trams are crowded to standing room only, right -to the terminus. For afternoon Sunday trips it gets the late sunshine, and there is the view from the Wireless Hill. Auckland, Christchureh, and Dunedin have made their scenic viewpoints attractive to the public, with good paths and tea rooms at the summit."

In reply to "Suprema a Situ," the Deputy Mayor, Councillor M. F. Luckio, stated to-day that it had to be renieihbered that the cost of the Northland tunnel was spread over the whole tramway service and did not operate particularly against the running cost of the Northland trams. . The operating costs on Sundays had definitely shown that they were oiit of proportion to the use made of the service. Most persons who wished to spend portion of Sunday with their friends would probably enjoy the short walk to the Earori tram,', which ran with the usual frequency. . ... Ovring to the decreasing use of tho ..Ato street tram on Sunday it was also being discontinued, although it had been running for over twenty years.