A BETTER POSITION

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 148, 19 December 1935, Page 11

A BETTER POSITION

TRAMWAY

REVENUE

SHORT-TRIP PASSENGERS

In a foreword to the December number of the Tramway Journal, the General Manager of the Tramways Department, Mr. M. Cable, says that after having had to face at the end of five consecutive years a heavy decline in the business of the Tramway Department, it* is particularly gratifying, as 1935 draws to a close, to be in a position to. record an upward movement in the volume of business handled by the department. "As an indication of the magnitude of the unprecedented decline in the volume, of the department's business, it may be stated that the average number of journeys per head of population served by the Corporation's transport services fell from 460 in 1929 to 320 in 1934—representing a loss of considerably over twelve million passengers annually," Mr. Cable states. "By the end of 1934 it was evident that the downward trend in revenue, which had been such a disturbing factor in the operations of the department, had been checked, and early in this year the returns commenced to show increases over the returns for corresponding weeks of t..e previous year. The increases in the weekly revenue, although relatively small when compared with the magnitude of the loss already mentioned, have been maintained throughout the year, and there is every indication at present that this improvement will continue during the coming year." , TEN-TRIP TICKETS. There had, been a large increase in me number of passengers using, the ten-trip one-section concession ticket, introduced in January of last year to stimulate short-distance- traffic, until more than half the total passengers now carried use this ticket, which, Mr. Cable says, has been an outstanding factor in bringing about the improvement in the traffic position, but it was not to be overlooked that the sales, which lar exceed anticipations at the time the ticket was. introduced, represent a large fare concession, and consequently the recovery in passenger traffic is not reflected to the same extent in revenue. . '■•'."'. Faced with the competition of the private motor-car, the number of which is rapidly increasing on practically all routes, the improvement which has taken place in tramway traffic is not likely to be greatly accelerated in the near future. MODERNISATION OF CARS. "According to the experience of many successful undertakings overseas, the best means for encouraging greater use of tramways is to provide rolling stock attractive in appearance, with seating accommodation comparable with automobile standards," said Mr. Cable. "Although a good deal has been done in the direction of improving the rolling stock in Wellington during recent years, the replacement of a considerable number of the older cars with modern vehicles will require to be proceeded with immediately there is a substantial improvement in the income of the department." ■'. ■ !