THE TROLLEY CAR

Evening Star, Issue 20986, 28 December 1931, Page 6

THE TROLLEY CAR

SUPERSESSION OF TRAMS [Special to the ‘ Star.’] AUCKLAND, December 28. “ Wherever I have gone I have found the tramway organisations in financial difficulties,”, said Mr F. Thompson, general manager of the Christchurch tramway system, who returned to New Zealand by the Aorangi after a tour of Great Britain, Canada, and America. “ All kinds of factors are operating against them, but the most serious in my opinion is the private motor car. This is so equally in England and America, Car owners not only prefer to use their own vehicles, but in a spirit of hospitality they take further patronage from the trams by filling their cars with friends.”. A careful investigation _of the methods in the countries he visited has convinced Mr Thompson that New Zealand does not lag very far behind other countries in the general standard of its tramways. “All I have seen confirms me in the belief that the Christchurch Tramways Board has done wisely in starting a service of trolley buses, as the trackless trams are called,” Mr Thompson said. “ A very important consideration,” added Mr Thompson, “ lies in the fact that the trolley car meets the preferences of a public which has become used to movement on rubber wheels. A very considerable section of the public would sooner ride on rubber than on steel, even when steel tracks are well laid.’” Mr Thompson said that for these reasons he could foresee trolley buses solving many of the problems of transport in New Zealand. The actual plans which he has in mind for application to the Christchurch tramway system ho preferred not to discuss, saying that his report would have to ho first submitted to his board.