WAKARI AFFAIRS.

Evening Star, Issue 25895, 12 September 1946, Page 3

WAKARI AFFAIRS.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —The Wakari Improvement Society is to be congratulated on the stand it lias taken on the increase in transport concession fares to the district. There is another glaring case of injustice to this district in the fact that while Wakari is badly in need of extra buses in the mornings, the bus leaving McDonald’s at 7.15 a.m., instead of returning from town and providing one extra trip, goes to the Railway Station and picks up a load of workmen residing outside the city' boundaries and takes them to Hillside workshops, dropping them at the gates, I believe for a concession fare of 2d. This is in opposition to the St. Kilda cats, which would take them to Cargill’s Corner only, for 3d, or the St. Clair car, from the Exchange to Hillside gates, for 3d, the men either paying 2d from the station to the Exchange on the St. Kilda car and changing to St. Clair cars, and paying a further 3d to Hillside gates, or walking to the Exchange and paying 3d on the St. Clair car. . Why _ should the convenience of outside residents 'be put before that of those inside tlie city boundary, who have to foot the bill to give such a service to others not entitled to such consideration? This bus would be better employed in returning to Wakari and helping other buses to cope with the loading and keeping to time-table. Another matter for the transport . department to consider is replacing the full-length racks in bus 22. It has recently been done up and the racks were taken out, and after a day or two without racks it was furnished with two which will hold two attache cases apiece, and these fight at the rear of the bus. The reason for this change is apparently to gain revenue from advertisements in the buses—another instance of the convenience and service to the public being sacrificed to money-grabbing by the city corporation. I noticed recently that the Green Island Council protested about the, inadequacy of its bus service. My advice to it is to go to the logical people to supply it with an efficient service, the Railway Road Services. In order to compete -with this service the city transport department carries Green Island people for a concession rate of Id a mile, and to help to catch up on this, Wakari residents pay almost twice as much.—l am, etc., Stung. September' 11.