ROAD TRANSPORT

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 51, Issue 3151, 31 July 1942, Page 5

ROAD TRANSPORT

SOME REDUCTION LIKELY COMMENT BY AUTHORITY SERVICES IN THAMES VALLEY Wednesday’s sitting of the No. 1 Transport Licensing Authority (Mr E. J. Phelan) at Thames took evidence*- respecting the elimination or retention of existing -motor services in the district, and various operators’ licenses were reviewed. Representative men from a wide area placed their views before the .Authority and were given a most patient hearing. t Mr Phelan indicated that full maintenance of . the present services was likely.

The Railways .Department was represented by Mr G. S. Reid, district traffic manager, Auckland. In explaining the present position Mr Phelan said the question was to give effect to the object with the least inconvenience ■to the people. Somebody would be hurt in order to cope with abnormal -conditions, and he asked for the co-operation of the people in making the reduced services work to the best advantage. He expressed appreciation of the manner in which service operators had helped the authorities. “Our boys are' fighting overseas to protect this country,” Mr Phelan said, “and it is our duty to help them every way we can.”

Mr Anderson, who appeared on behalf of the Minister of Transport, emphasised the necessity to conserve rubber supplies. Very drastic reorganisation and reduction would be necessary if services were to be kept on the road for any length of time. Mr • Reid submitted a schedule of train services covering the area under review. Mr J. Stanton, who appeared for Messrs W. White and Sons, Ltd., of Thames, gave details of passengers carried by this service. The buses carried on an average of 19i pasStengers each trip on week days and an average of, people on each Sunday. trip. He appreciated the difficulties facing the Authority. His clients desired to co-operate in any way possible, and. they were willing to make cuts in their services to the extent of 331-3 per cent, on week days.

Mr S. Ensor, Mayor of Thames, asked that special consideration be •given the retention of the present Sunday services. There was no other-sort of service on Sundays and the suggested reduction would mean hardship for business men returning from Wellington by train on Saturdays, soldiers on leave from the camps, and Thames people with relatives in hospital in Auckland.

Then again, people from the Plains desired to come to Thames on (Sundays, this being the only day >on which many of them could travel. Improved Time-table Needed Mr A. L. Burk, Borough Commissioner, in evidence, stressed the fact that considerable improvements -would have to be made in the Thames-Frankton-Auckland. schedule if the railway was to meet requirements.

At this stage, Mr E. B. Clendon, •who represented the Thames Borough Council and the Thames Chamber of Commerce, read a letter from iMr W. SBongard drawing attention to the value of the present service -to people living on the Plains who desired to come to Thames in the morning and get hack in the afternoon.

■Mr C. iPeach, representing settlers of Maramarua, pointed out that ifthe services were reduced it would ibe difficult for people on the Plains to get a seat in a bus. Mr E. A. Mahoney, clerk to - the Hauraki Plains County Council, said that four-fifths of the area in his county was isolated from the railway, and-the bus service was the •only means of passenger transport ■to Auckland. Connection with the railway service at Pokeno and Mercer was not satisfactory.

The Authority -reserved his decision in connection with the ThamesAuckland services.

New Service Sought Numerous residents gave evidence ’• in support of an application for a ibus service from Waitakaruru via Miranda to the turn-off. Mr IP, Jensen, who appeared on 'their behalf, urged that some sort of service be provided. They did not object to the bus service ending at Pokeno. Curtailment of private cars had made it difficult for settlers to get about. Others to support the application -were Mr C. W. Parfitt, chafrman of

the Hauraki Plains County Council, Mr F. Dalton, president of the Mir-anda-Mangatangi Settlers’ Association, and Messrs A. Douglas, S. L. Parker, J. T. Perry and R. H. Hansen.

Mr Phelan said they were unfortunate in making the application at the present time, but he would give it his earnest consideration.

Peninsula Service

The Thames-Mercury Bay (Service was reviewed by the Authority. Mr A. G. T. Bryan, who appeared for the operator, L. F. White, agreed to .a tri-weekly service, but asked that the mid-day service from Thames to Auckland ibe continued to meet the needs of residents.

Mr Phelan, in confirming the triweekly service, said if the necessity arose he would consider increasing it in the summer time.

W aihi-Paeroa-Auckland

The danger of people travelling from Taneatua evading the 100-mile travel restriction by , joining a bus at Waihi was mentioned at the sitting when a Paeroa operator’s license was under review. It was stated that this service picked up passengers at the Waihi station. Various goods-service licenses were reviewed and decisions will be announced in due course.

Mr Phelan stated that any transport. licenses suspended through operators joining the Forces would receive sympathetic consideration when these men returned.

At the conclusion of the sitting, Mr Phelan thanked legal men, transport operators and witnesses for the great help they had given him. A fine spirit of co-operation was shown and he appreciated it very much.