ALTERED FARES

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 148, 20 December 1945, Page 9

ALTERED FARES

BUSES THROUGH

RULING OF COURT

The Tramways Department made a brief statement today regarding the alteration in fares charged on City Corporation buses which run through Kelburn to and from Northland and Karori. Several correspondents have criticised the new fares in letters to "The Post," but they have written, the department states, without full knowledge of the facts. The Tramways Department states that it has for some years been granted a licence to operate buses on certain routes through Kelburn to Karori and Northland, and in doing so it served parts of Kelburn for which no other provision had been made. The other services which affected Kelburn were the Kelburne and Karori Tramways and the Kelburn and Karori Bus Company. In the early part of 1945, the Kelburne and Karori Tramway Company brought action in the Supreme Court against the City Corporation, asking for a declaration as to whether any or all of the Corporation bus services were operated in breach of the provisions of subsection (2) of Section 217 of the Municipal Corporations Act 1931. The hearing of the case occupied six days, and in its judgment the Court found that the services were operated in breach of the section in one respect, in that the charging of certain fares to passengers picked up and put down within the Kelburn area had the effect of diverting passengers in that area from the Kelburne and Karori tramway on to the Corporation buses.

"The Court's judgment then proceded to point out that the objection by the Kelburne and Karori Company would be met if certain changes were made in the fare schedule for passengers to and from the Kelburn area," continues the statement. "It is these fares which became operative from December 10. The Corporation was reluctant to make the alteration, and actually refrained from taking immediate action in order to give the Kelburne tramway time to commence an alternative service, but was finally advised that if it continued to ignore the judgment it laid itself open to claims for damages.

"Prior to eliminating the first section, the Corporation informed the Kelburne and Karori Tramway Company that the Corporation was willing to withdraw from the Kelburn area if the company would cater for the residents: but the company, though claiming that it has prior rights over the area, and despite a Supreme Court judgment which partly supports that claim, has apparently not taken any action which would assure for the residents a service no less favourable than that given by the Corporation." Several more letters of objection and protest have been received from Kelburn residents.

"Fair Fares to Fairlie Terrace" considers that residents of south Kelburn are unfairly treated by the fivepenny bus fare, and while recognising that the decision to charge the higher fare was the outcome of the Court action, contends that surely it was not the intention to penalise residents who have no alternative transport, the cable car being of no benefit to residents of the Fairlie Terrace-Kelburn Parade area, now thickly populated. Now that the war is over, could not a bus service with reasonable fares be inaugurated to cater for south Kelburn, Taitville, and Highbury, he asks; such a service would be a boon to people who have to walk long distances in all weathers.

"Kelburn Resident" complains that after waiting all through the war years for a better bus service patience has been rewarded by an increase in fares and no buses on Sundays for most Kelburn residents. Citizens had a right to demand that buses for which they were paying should not run through a thickly-populated area carrying a handful of passengers. "LB." urges a return to the former running of buses from the library, and complains particularly about the lack of Sunday buses.

"Bus User" considers that the fair way would be to adjust cable car and bus fares more equitably, and then perhaps bus-users would get a more frequent and reasonable service. The non-stop running of Sunday buses through Kelburn, he states, is causing widespread indignation.