NELSON-GREY BUSES

Grey River Argus, 1 February 1946, Page 8

NELSON-GREY BUSES

APPLICATION FOR EXTENSION CHRISTCHURCH, Jan. 31. Decision was reserved to-day by the No 3 Transport Licensing Authority (Mr T. H. Langford) on an aoplication by Newman Bros., Ltd. for a permit to extend the Nel-son-Inangahua Junction bus route to allow buses to go through to Greymouth. . “We wish to provide an alternative to the present rail service, which we do not consider to be satisfactory, '.said Mr J. Newman, managing director of the firm. “Under the present arrangements we arrive at Inangahua Junction with our passengers from the north about 2.15 p.m. Those passengers have to wait nearly two hours to go further south by the railcar, which does not leave until 4 p.m.’’ Mr Newman said that the present allotment of seats on the rail-cars for passengers arriving at Inangahua Junction by bus was most unsatisfactory. Six seats were allotted for transport to Greymouth, and three for seats to Christchurch. It was often impossible to get all the passengers on a rail-car and they would be packed in “like sardines in a tin.’ The proposed bus fares would be Ils 6d single and 22s return, compared with 6s 6d single and Us lid return for the trip by rail-car from the junction to GrevmmUh. said Mr Newman. A questionnaire had been issued to a number of bus passengers. 9-1 favouring the suggested bus service and five perferring the existing system. Mr E. C. Brittenden, representing the Railways Department, said that a very modern railway service had been established in the district in question at a tremendous cost. Many of the present difficulties would be overcome if Newman buses arrived at Inangahua Junction an hour later. He added that the number of seats allocated was no indication of the number available.