RAILWAY BOOKINGS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 72, 26 March 1941, Page 8

RAILWAY BOOKINGS

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—l would like to suggest that more satisfactory arrangements should be made with regard to rail-car bookings. On Thursday last I went to the Government Tourist Office and asked for a return rail-car ticket and seat reservation to go to Masterton on the Saturday and return to Wellington on Sunday. I was told I could book for the journey up but that the usual cars for the return journey were full, and although an extra car was being run, I could not book a seat in it until I reached Masterton, whet* it might or might not be possible to do' so! As it is absolutely necessary for me to return to Wellington on Sunday, I asked to have the ticket changed to a single one, and I would return by road service | bus. This was refused, but I was told there would be no difficulty in getting the amount refunded if I had to return by road. There was not enough accommodation in the extra car for intending passengers, and in common with others similarly situated, I returned by road. On asking for refund of the fare, I was asked why I had not booked in advance! And after filling in a form, I received the price of return fai'e less 10 per cent, and also less 2s 2d lor return scat accommodation. Surely arrangements could be made for return bookings in Wellington, and if this cannot be done, it should certainly be possible to take a single ticket, as it is certainly not fair to c*harge for a seat when such is not available.—l am, etc., K.E. On referring the above letter to theGovernment Tourist Office it was ascertained that the correspondent was recommended to purchase a railway return ticket on account of the saving in fare, and the passenger was informed that, in the event of there being no accommodation available for the return journey by rail-car, the cost of the unused return ticket would be refunded. The clerk who subsequently attended to the passenger's application for a refund was not the clerk who issued the ticket, »nd it would appear that the former was not apprised of the full facts—hence the 10 per cent, deduction, which will be refunded to the correspondent on his making personal application at the Tourist Office. The necessity for the correspondent to return to Wellington by the road motor service is explained by the fact that a large party who travelled by steam train from Wellington to Masterton on Saturday, March 15, decided to return by the rail-cai; service jon Sunday,*

March 16, and this exceptional traffic contributed largely to the full reservation of seats on the four rail-cars from Masterton to Wellington. Every effort

is made by the Department to meet passengers' requests for seat reservations on return journeys, , and to do everything that is possible to ensure that return ticket holders obtain the fullest -facilities to which they are entitled. The Department regrets any misunderstanding which may have caused the passenger inconvenience. t