TRAMS AND BUSES

Evening Star, Issue 23353, 24 August 1939, Page 17

TRAMS AND BUSES

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—“ Plain Bill ” certainly has the situation summed up correctly. I hope Crs Connelly and Walls take up “ Logic’s ” challenge. The answer, as “ Plain Bill ” has it, will be about as illuminating as was the runaway bus theory. By the way, as Cr Gibson will be answering all pertinent questions whilst giving the report on- the trial services, will he tell us why the driver of the ill-fated bus has never been allowed to drive on that route since r I notice in to-night’s issue a letter by “ Another Mac,” in which ho states that the decline in tramway revenue due to the act of the Labour council and in raising the fares. I quite agree that that was the starting point. But upon whose recommendation, were the fares raised? None other than the tramway manager’s, and the council, being mere laymen' witß regard to tramway matters, were guided by his advice. The result we all, know. Cr Gibson, heartened by the fact that he has at least one supporter in “Logic,” has deigned to answer some, questions of his own asking, but has carefully avoided the more pertinent questions which 'have* been submitted through the courtesy of your columns, Cr Gibson gives Christchurch as ; an example, but is that city a-parallel to Dunedin? I submit it is not. The trams are run by a tramway board, and tbe municipality does not own'- the power supply. If it is-not the intention to replace all the tram routes by buses, will Cr Gibson please explain the following recommendation,; made in-the report or the special committee:That the rails from the various routes mentioned bo utilised to repair the main line. When the cars were worn out they were not to be replaced; but atitomatically, on becoming obsolete, be scrapped.” That sounds to me like the death knell of our trams and not like a midway proposal. The councillor’s letter states the life of a bus at 12 years approximately. Why the change? (Before the election his estimated.life of a bus was_ eight years. However, we will give him the benefit of the doubt and call it 12. If, as Cr Gibson states, a charge of 2d per mile is made against the bus for renewal and sinking fund, and a bus pays for itself in six and a-half years, will he state the amount placed to the credit of the buses, and in the bus renewal fund? Since 1926 the department has had an average of about 18 buses in traffic. This does not count the Exhibition period. _ If these buses have been earning their own replacement at the rate of 2d per mile and in six years running, why the necessity to raid the tramway loan account and tramway renewal account to pay _ for the six buses which we may require? Why not buy them from the bus renewal fund? According to Cr Gibson’s figures, a bus should earn its own replacement twice over. A letter in your columns some time ago deplored tho action, as does Cr Gibson, of tho Tramway Union, for not co-operating with the council in its policy of tbe change. 1 ask its secretary to correct me if I am wrong, but this union is composed of both tram and bus operators. If anyone (should know the capabilities of the different types of transport these men should, and we could do well to bo guided by them as the experts, since- we? like the councillors who compiled the special report, are mere laymen.

If it is constructive criticism that is wanted,,l would like to suggest this. Let the competition with trams by buses cease. The old penny fare should be reinstated, likewise the 14-section Is ticket. The trams should be modernised, the time-table quickened and simplified (as it is you need a college education to figure it out). A change of management is warranted, the new manager to. study themethods of the Wellington manager, and have no symptoms of that dreaded disease, “ busitis.” The entire service needs better co-ordination to avoid overlapping at certain times and complete starvation at others. Last, but not least, a complete reorganisation of the Tramways Committee is needed.—l am, etc., ' : , . The Saint. August 23. [To save space, we explain a point on which our correspondent argued at some length., Or Uibson meant that the replacement of trams by buses would be complete on five lines.—Ed. E.S.] ' .