RIVAL OF THE RAIL

Hawera Star, Volume LI, 3 January 1931, Page 15

RIVAL OF THE RAIL

ROAD PASSENGER- AND FREIGHT

SER.VICES

(By Telegraph—Special to “The Star.”l WELLINGTON, Jan: 2. The steady decline -in railway receipts recently announced is Rue principal ly to a factor which low prices for primary products will not- explain away. Figures available from the Department of Transport show how substantial is the business conducted by load vehicles in competition against the rail. The private car, giving tremendously improved travel facilities, -has developed the “travel habit,” but the gain has not gone to the railways, because there is a. car to every ten persons in New Zealand to-day, compared with one to every 17 ini the year 1925. Motor trucks in 1925 were estimated to be giving a freight service equal to 48 million ton miles per annum. The same enumeration to-day places the ■ton-mile factor at over 200 million ipiles. Service cars on the long-dis-tance routes are not serious corn-petit- 7 ors of the rail on a price basis, hut ~ their elasticity in providing convenient transport' has given them the advantage. Motor transport services, on defined routes in the North Island employ 776 cars, while those of the South Island utilise 30S cars.