KARORI'S TRANSPORT SERVICE

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 106, 6 May 1936, Page 10

KARORI'S TRANSPORT SERVICE

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —Your correspondent, "Progress," sets out the position very truly when he says "the people of Wellington turned down the City Council's proposal to give a fourth transport service to Karori by way of Sydney Street, and that the Public Works Department told the City Council that the further petition against the council's proceeding with the work by Wellington citizens—ratepayers—signed by over 5000 in five days, was valid, and that the only course for the City Council to pursue was to begin de novo."

When tramways are a dying or decadent means of transport in such narrow streets as Wellington has, to propose to lay more is not only ridiculous but adding to the prospective burdens of ratepayers to pay interest for generations on the £1,000,000 which it is impossible to earn out of tramways. By a poll of 13,802 to 5290 the ratepayers of Brighton-Hove (155,000 population) decided to uproot all tramways and institute trolley buses. That was on January 11 of this year.

Now Karori has a Corporation tramway service, a bus-cum-Kelburn cable tramway service every ten or fifteen minutes from 7.37 a.m. to 11.25 p.m. to and from Kelburn (as many as 70 trips a day), and a Corporation bus service from Te Aro Post Office to the Council Chambers, Karori, and back again every half-hour. Yet Karori wants another tramway from Bowen Street. Is there no limit to the selfishness of some people at the expense of others to be found among Karori residents? Still, if the City Council takes a vote of ratepayers and the ratepayers support the project, I would be prepared to abide by their decision; but I cannot see the necessity for a further extension of tramways which are now run at a loss. Ten years ago the tramway 'revenue was £50,000 to £60,000 a year "greater than it was in 1935-36. Why should Karori want more tramways laid—or anyone else? What better proof could be offered of the obsolescence of tramways than such a decrease of revenue? When the Hil) Street proposal was under consideration by the council it was approved by a former Mayor, who said that Hill Street was the only possible route to Karori, and that Bowen Street might be possible in fifty years' time.—l am, etc., .

SUBURBANITE.