TRAM AND BUS ECONOMY

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 44, 20 August 1930, Page 8

TRAM AND BUS ECONOMY

(To the Editor.)

1 Sir—The Mayor lias stated that the present position regarding the city bus service has been forced on the council by the slump and additional taxation. He further went on to say that the conclusion the council had come to was that it would now have to rely on bus feeder services. Why now? Why was a feeder service not developed when the manager of the tramways (Mr. Cable) returned from his trip of investigation to the Old Country and elsewhere, and reported (rightly or wrongly I will not discuss here) that more tramway lines -were being laid and that buses were mainly being used as feeders to trams? ~".•« Councillor Wright considers that it tram fares were raised the city councillors would run the risk of not being re-elected to the council. , Quite possible in some aases. The saiiie risk might be mot by such councillors on the tramway committee who, by merely sitting within the four walls of their committee room arrive at decisions without having first-hand knowledge of tho condition mid practical requirements of suburban' residents. The point in connection with the Hatai-tai-Coiirtenay place run is apparent to anyone who comes in direct contact with it particularly the Users of it. And as regards the latter, their desire is not to get an increased service. Their only desire is to get a requisite service, and they would not consider themselves hard dealt by '4 some of the present time-table were «ut out. Suburban residents require bus feeder services with their termini where to the best advantage they Will pick up those people who usually walk to a tram but would (perhaps not always) take the bus if the bus is where it is wanted. The fares should be just sufficient to cover the cost of the feeder-service and no more. Thereby the council will be assisting the tramway revenue and the pros- j pective bus-rider at the same time. It! would be an all-round service, and that is tho fundamental reason for the existence of bus-feeder services;—l am, etc., MARK LEVY. 20tli August. (To the Editor.) Sir, —The deputation which waited upon the City Council last evening in reference i to the proposed bus restrictions made no mention of alternative saving to be effected by reducing the tram service during slack hours. In a recent letter on this subject I suggested that Mr. Cable might examine the position from this Standpoint: There is now a ten-minute service all day on the Island Bay, Lyall Bay, Seatoun, and Miramar lines: between 9.30 and 11.30 a.m. the number o£ passengers carried on these routes does not warrant the running of such a frequent service; many of the cars are more.often empty than Ml at this particular, period of the day —excepting Saturdays and holidays, of course. Any. observer can verify this (statement, and a prominent Miramar resident recently told me that his own observations led him to believe that a flortyminute service would suffice during the slack period. Without going to this extreme, however, I am of the firm opinion that half the present tram service in these hours would amply meet the need of the travelling public. If the City Council finances are really in the condition indicated by the Mayor, surely the Tramway Committee ought to welcome any suggestion that promises real economy, without inconvenience. May I, through your columns, Sir, put the question point-blank to tho council? It cannot be denied that there are too many trams: therefore, will the authorities consider the curtailment of superfluous cars, and leave the bus service alone? —I am, etc., L. D. AUSTIN. 19th August. (To the Editor.) ,• Sir—The Houghton Valley deputation did not receivd a good hearing from the Transport Committee on Tuesday, The residents are paying sevenpence from Houghton Bay, and sixpence from View road, with no concessions; and now our buses arc to terminate at John street. After the buses arrive at John street, what are they going to do? .Bun back to Kilbirnie empty, or continue on into town? Just imagine a bus load of passengers_ trying to board a tram at John street in rush hours, when the trams are already overloaded. I think the first thing the Transport Committee should do over the deficit in the bus service would be to find out why it costs Is 10% d per mile to run a council bus, and let the public know what money is paid out in overtime when there are so many unemployed.—l am, etc., ■ J.H.S.