BUS REDUCTIONS.

Evening Star, Issue 24265, 5 August 1942, Page 4

BUS REDUCTIONS.

TO THE EDITOR* Sir—l have been studying the report presented by the transport manager re^ garding proposals to reduce by 25 per cent, the running of buses m Dunedin, a» re-quested-by the Minister of Transport. Will the transport manager answer this question? Will his reduced running result in the saving of 25 per cent.-weekdays-and 75 per cent.-Sundays—of fuel consumption? I am very much afraid that it will not, and that the proposed reductions are simply something that appear at first, glance to comply with the Minister’s request. Let us examine the saving that really could be made in what is to-day a very serious, even desperate, situation. Take Rattray street cable trams Mr Mackenzie proposes to save a miserable 30 miles a day. What mileage is run by the buses on that route qach dav? Taking it at six trips an hour tor eight hours a day, we find, that the mileage is approximately 240 miles. I may be wroii" but I can’t make a saving of 30 miles out of 240 miles 25 per cent. Then there is the running of buses on Rattray and Stuart streets on Sundays. No attempt has been made to reduce fuel consumption, and I ask Mr Mackenzie that old, old question; Why? No doubt we shall again have the old bogey that the line is not in good enough repair to run a double* shift, and also that it is impossible to secure cables to operate the service. So far as the cables are concerned I can say very definitely that the existing cables are sufficient to give fulltime service for from twe and a-half to three years, and I hope that when that period has elapsed we shall be back to norma! conditions and supplies will again be plentiful.—l am. etc.. Conserve. August 4.