AIR TRAVEL

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 137, 6 December 1935, Page 10

AIR TRAVEL

TWO NEW SERVICES

FARES AND TIME-TABLES

APPROVAL SOUGHT

Consideration was given by the Transport Co-ordination Board today to the applications of Union Airways and Cook Strait Airways for approval of their proposed time-tables and schedules" of fares for operating air services between Palmerston North and Dunedin, and across Cook Strait respectively. Sir Stephen Allen presided, and associated witn him were Messrs. L. Alderton and H. 3. Joiinstone.

Cook Strait Airways* application was taken first. Objections were voiced on behalf of the Wellington City Council, the Blenheim Borough Council, and the Marlborough Progress League to the proposal to charge £1 15s for the trip between Wellington and Blenheim, the contention being that, taking other fares into account, this was a disproportionately high amount. The only opposition to the proposed time-table came from M. T. Withers, representing Aviation Development and Great Pacific Airways, and it was against Cook Strait Airways being permitted to run a midday trip to Wellington. Great Pacific Airways' proposal, he said, was to leave Blenheim at 11.5 a.m., and that of Cook Strait Airways was that it should be permitted to leave only twenty-five minutes later.

In reply to Sir Stephen Allen, Mr. G. G. Watson (Cook Strait Airways and Union Airways) said that he was unable to place before the board details as to tne assessment of the fares. He had not those details with him.

Sir Stephen Allen said that the applications by Cook Strait Airways would be adjourned sine die, but he intimated that the board would approve a temporary scale of fares and a timetable. That approval would be given for a strictly limited time, and the matter would be considered again in February. UNION AIRWAYS. Mr. Withers strongly objected to any temporary approval being given to the application by Union Airways in respect of the service between Palmerston North and Dunedin. He said his objection to the south-bound time-table was that the departure from Palmerston North was too late in the morning. His companies were also opposed to any time-table for the north-bound service which would entitle Union Airways to leave Dunedin earlier than at midday. Union Airways proposed leaving Dunedin at 8.15 a.m. This application by Union Airways, he contended,: was for a completely new service, for which the company did not hold a licence. Sir Stephen Allen said that the board could not possibly agree to Union Airways starting from Dunedin before midday. It would not even grant a temporary licence for such a time-table. At the request of Mr. Watson, the hearing was adjourned until 4 p.m. today to enable him to go into the question of an alternative north-bound time-table. LETTERS FROM MARLBOROUGH. Mr. J. Stevenson, Mayor of Blenheim, advised by letter that his council considered that the proposed fare of £1 15s between Blenheim and Wellington was far too high. "It is understood," continued the letter, "that when applications were made by the various companies for the right to institute services the fare for the Wellington-Blen-heim run was set down at about 15s, which seemed sufficient for a twentyminute run. On comparing the airline distances with the fares to Christchurch and Dunedin it is plain that 15s is about the correct charge for Blen-heim-Wellington, and we cannot understand why the latter has been proposed at such a disproportionately high figure." The letter added: "Our main concern, of course, is cheap communication with Wellington, which is our business centre, and it is interesting to note that the proposed fare Blenheim-Wellington is 35s .while Palmerston North-Welling-ton (approximately twice the distance) is only 10s. This appears unfair discrimination against our district, as Palmerston North already has cheap train and bus connection with the capital city, while our communication is slow and costly." A letter from the secretary of the Marlborough Progress League also complained about the proposed fare for the trip between Wellington and Blenheim. It was submitted that the fare between Nelson and Blenheim should be amended to £1 5s instead of being £1 10s as suggested, and that between Wellington and / Blenheim to I £1, instead of being £1 15s. A comprehensive analysis of the proposed scale of charges submitted by Cook Strait Airways was made by Mr. J. O'Shea, representing the Wellington City Council. It appeared that where Union Airways had competition, he said, the fares were lower. He suggested that the fare between Wellington and Blenheim should be strictly limited to £1, but said his instructions were that the correct fare should be 15s to 17s. . Mr. Watson defended the fare between Wellington and Blenheim. The company's experts advised, he said, that it was the . lowest change that could be made having regard to economical running and to the fact that as the machines were to be flown over the sea a high degree of safety precaution was necessary. If it was found after the service had been operating for a reasonable. time that the fares could be reduced, the board would be ' approached. The company asked for a reasonable opportunity to give the time-table' and the' schedule, of fares a trial. Mr. E. P. Meachen, M.P. (Blenheim Borough Council and Marlborough Progress League) also spoke in opposition to the proposed charge of £1 15s between Wellington. and Blenheim. A MINISTER'S VIEW. Mr. Meachen stated that he had interviewed the Minister of Transport (the Hon. R. Semple), who had stated that if the matter could not be settled satisfactorily he would like it deferred until he could look into it. Sir Stephen Allen suggested that perhaps it was not quite proper to put i the Minister's view. I

Mr. Meachen: Well, I don't know, sir: he mentioned it.

Mr. O'Shea asked that details be submitted by Cook Strait Airways as to its basis for the schedule of fares.

Sir Stephen Allen had intimated earlier that the board thought that desirable. That did not mean, he said, that all such information should be available to a competing company.

Mr. Withers said he did not ask that the information be supplied to him.

In reply to the chairman Mr. Watson said that Cook Strait Airways hoped to start between Christmas and the New Year, and Union Airways about the middle of January.

,After pointing out that it would be very difficult for the board to sit again in Wellington between now and Christmas, Sir Stephen announced that the board would be prepared to entertain approval being given to a temporary Time-table and schedule of fares for Cook Strait Airways so that it would be possible for the company to begin operating.

The board then passed on to a consideration of the application by Union Airways.

After further discussion the application was adjourned until 4 o'clock this afternoon.