ROAD SERVICES

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 107, 7 May 1936, Page 10

ROAD SERVICES

THREE TAKEN OVER

RAILWAYS CONTROL

FOR CO-ORDINATION

For the purpose of co-ordinating road and rail services the Railway department has taken over another three road services in the South Island. These are Ramsay's Motorsi Ltd., operating on a flfty-one-mile route between Christchurch, Little River, and Akaroa; Mr. A. Earl's road passenger service business operating on a ninety-six-mile route between Dunedin and Roxburgh; and Hope's Motors, operating on a thirty-eight-mile road route between Dunedin and Palmerston. All of these services parallel and are in competition with existing railway services.

"The object of these purchases," said the Minister of Railways (the Hon. D. G. Sullivan) in announcing the change, "is to bring about in each instance a co-ordination of road and rail services in the interests of both public convenience and public finance.

"The. business of Ramsay's Motors, Ltd., as taken over by the Department, includes garage property, motor vehicles, and. accessories. By coordinating this service with the trains serving the Little River branch and the Akaroa district, ■ a saving in railway operating will be possible and a substantial improvement in the net revenue of the Department effected, while the passenger transport between Christchurch, Little River, and Akaroa will be improved. The arrangement also provides the Department with a means for meeting the general demand of tourist traffic from Christchurch.

"The Dunedin-Roxburgh service purchased from Mr. A. Earl includes buses and certain garage property at Roxburgh. The co-ordination of services in this territory will enable the Department to .eliminate 'mixed' trains on the Roxburgh line and to cater for the whole of the passenger traffic by motor vehicles. A more frequent and convenient goods train service will also be provided on the Roxburgh branch as a result of single ownership of road and railway services in this area. As the route of Earl's service is the same as that of the recently acquired Wanaka Motors service for the portion of the route between Dunedin and Roxburgh, the Department is now in a position to make further co-ordination of these road services and to obtain the,fullest financial benefits through this purchase.

"Hope's Motors passenger service between Dunedin and Palmerston, purchased from Mrs. J. W. Hope, includes, besides buses, a small freehold area and garage at Karitane. The acquisition of this service is also.supplementary to the recently announced purchase of Wanaka Motors, as it runs for some distance over the same route. In this instance, also, there will be an improvement in net revenue to accrue to the Department as a result of the coordination of services.

"I feel confident," concluded the Minister, "that the above purchases are in. the interests of the public and will assist directly and indirectly the finances of the State. The General Manager, Mr. G. H. Mackley, and his responsible officers, have carried through the negotiations with commendable expedition and amicably as between the venders and the Department.

"The three services referred to will be taken over by the Department before the end of the current month."