TROOPS ON TRAMS

Grey River Argus, 27 July 1940, Page 10

TROOPS ON TRAMS

CONCESSION IN FARES. WELLINGTON, July 25.' Concession fares for members of th e armed force s ,wer e started to-day by the tramways department of th e Wellington City Council. Sailors, soldiers and airmen in uniform, whether on home service or in units for aboard, can travel any distanc e , on on 6 tram for twopence. Those most affected ar e territorials at present undergoing training in Wellington and living at lheir own homes, some of whom at present pay up to a shilling a day in tram fares. So far no refund has been made to territorials or millitary reservists of expenses incurred travelling to and from parades. These amount to substantial sums in many cases, taking into account the daily rate of pay, especially in th e case of men from outlying suburbs. “Little hope that a similar concession could be made in Auckland was held out by Mr W. H. Nagle, chairman of the transport Board, when the Wellington decision was referred to him.

Mr Nagl e said that when the consolidated training of th e territorials was started at Epsom arrangements were made by th e board to put on special trams for the men, who were also issued with the 4s 6d weekly concession ticket, which covered their tram expenses. This ticket was paid for by th e Defence Department. “We are having a most difficult task in balancing income and expenditure without increasing th e fares,” Mr Nagle said. “In addition to the £30,000 a year which was recently imposed on the system by the tribunal which granted th e employees an 8-per cent increase in wages, we have to find another £3OOO to meet th e higher sales tax on the board’s purchases, and the emergency precautions scheme is also costing the board about , £lOO. None of these item s were budgeted for and, if we are to maintain the present cash fares we must watch every penny of expenditure or conces r sion.” ’ • ' : ■ '■'