CAVERSHAM TRAM SERVICE.

Evening Star, Issue 19919, 16 July 1928, Page 8

CAVERSHAM TRAM SERVICE.

TO TUE EDITOR. Sir, —Referring to tbo letter signed “ Ratepayer,” which appeared in your issue of Saturday, I also consider it high time that the "Dunedin City Corporation gave the residents., of ■ Caversham .some consideration. For instance, last Saturday the tram which is duo to leave the Exchange at 4.47 p.m. did not run, the next car departing at 4.57. .Perhaps the tramway manager would like to explain the reason for this? it is presumed that the above incident -was due to the heavy traffic from the football match at Carisbrook, but why should the long suffering Cavers).am people be penalised on that account;' Would it not be possible to utilise some of the corporation’s buses to convey a portion of t:bo crowd from the Glen?

The lack of accommodation at the terminus for the purpose of providing shelter for intending passengers is another matter that leaves a good deal to bo desired. It is very annoying to have to stand in the rain for anything from ten to twenty minutes waiting for a car.

1 agree with “Ratepayer” that if a minimum faro of ‘id was imposed during rush hours the overcrowding now in existence would, to a large extent, he obviated. 1 should say that about half the people using the Caversham trams only travel to the Glen, and if tho minimum fare was 2d they would* naturally request that cars be set aside for their use. It is a common occurrence for approximately twenty passengers to be standing on the rear platform of a tram, and an elderly lady naturally has some diffidence about forcing her way through tho crowd. Supposing a mother with a baby in arras wishes to travel on tho tram, is it a fair deal to expect her to push her way through the dense crowd which invariably congregates on the platforms? It is apparent that tho corporation is quite content to collect tho people’s money and make no attempt to improve the service. It appears to mo that if the corporation fad any serious bus competition to compete with it would soon realise that it must provide for the wants of the public who patronise their tram services.

it is the Dunedin City Corporation’ i proud boast that its tramway service is the only one in the dominion that is a payable proposition, but is the service anything id be proud of? It is easily understood why the service pays, in view of the comparatively small district served. In Christchurch the trams traverse a total mileage something liko three times as great as Dunedin, and I may state that the congestion there is not nearly so bad as that which is experienced in this fair city. It is true that tho lack of a double lino is a drawback in so far as tho running of additional trams is concerned, and I assume it is not possible to run a trailer over tho South road past tho cemetery, but surely there must he some solution to this problem. Would it not he possible to construct a tramway along Wilkia load? This would megu practically a Hat run all the way to Caversham, and there should be nothing to prevent the running of double bogie trams, similar to rTiose used on the St. Clair run. In conclusion, I would liko to a del my protest to that of “Ratepayer” and suggest that as the Caversham people have been neglected for quite a long time it is up to the corporation to make every endeavour to mom tV public in the question of an efficient tram service.—l am, etc., Expectation, July IG.