HOLIDAY TRAMS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXIII, Issue 15899, 10 April 1912, Page 8

HOLIDAY TRAMS.

Visitors to Christchurch have paid so many compliments to the tramways service that the citizens have learnt

to be proud of this important public possession, but their pride fortunately has not made them blind to the defects that mar the working of the Bystem. Complaints of various kinds have been made from time to time, and they appear to have been particularly numerous during the past two days. We received complaints ourselves on Monday from holiday-makers whose homeward journeys from the seaside resorts had proved to he exceedingly laborious undertakings, and again yesterday many people were protesting against an apparent dislocation of some „of the regular services during the late hours of tho afternoon. The troubles which occurred appear to have been caused largely by the efforts of the tramway officials to cope with tho extraordinary traffic associated with the conclusion of the racing at Riocarton on each day. On Monday the number of visitors to the seaside was very great, and yesterday the trams were expected to provide for workers who had been compelled by the rain to seek conveyance to their homes as well as for holiday-makers who had not spent the day at the racecourse. These people, however, seem to have been considered by the tramway authorities as of quite secondary importance. The officials, no doubt, find some justification for their attitude in the profits' that are gained from the raoecourse traffic,, but it is a very unjust policy that Sacrifices the comfort and convenience of the very large numbers of people who do not attend race meetings for the benefit of one section of the community. The Tramway Board cannot be expected to maintain enough cars to meet all the demands of a busy holiday, but at least it should, endeavour to apportion what cal's it has fairly among the various classes of passengers. The citizen who takes his wife and children to Sumner on a public holiday should he able to feel that the pleasure of the outing will not he spoilt by delays and difficulties at tho end of the day, and the less fortunate person who has work to do should not have his arrangements upset by the vagaries of a sadly abused timetable.