Nationalise Goods Service In Far North

Northern Advocate, 3 October 1944, Page 2

Nationalise Goods Service In Far North

(Special) KAITAIA, This Day With the taking over of five vehicles and four license authorities from Wilson Moore Motors. Kaitaia, the heavy goods transport service between Oka:hau railhead and the Far North on Monday commenced operation under the control of the New Zealand Railways Road Services, which already conducts the passenger, mail and parcels service from Otiria to Kaitaia. While the greater part of the goods haulage will be between Okaihau and Kaitaia, the licenses permit of operation to any point in Mangonui County. Principal advantage derived from the change-over by the general public will be that it will link Kaitaia and the Mangonui county with the rest of the Dominion by means of the Railway Department's through goods booking service, which, as far as the department was concerned, has hitherto not extended beyond Okaihau. •’With the passenger and parcels service already operating through Otiria, this means that Kaitaia depot can now offer virtually the same faci - lities for receipt and despatch of both passengers and goods as any notmal railway station,” said the Dominion superintendent of the N.Z.R. Road Services (Mr F. K. Mackay) on Sat-

urday. , Also commenced today was the roaci services’ passenger, mail and parcels service between Kawakawa and Paihia. via Opua. This is being operated with one vehicle making two return trips daily. . Commenced in 19->» , . Commenced in October, 1938. _ W Vi managing director of Wilson Moorr-Mot’ (Mr. Gerald C. Wilson) the Okaihau-Km* tala lieavv goods service has grown in intervening years from one vehicle .o seven. On one particular clay, tin* volume of goods traffic between the two was so great that the use of 10 trucks W ThL C has a proved. said Mr. Wilson yesterday, that despite strong opposition, lie value of the combined road-rail senloi o Far Northern development has been iuu\ realised and availed of by Ine resident* and business firms cf the district. .v special feature has been the operal.on o the “community truck' system m .ecent vears. .. The N.Z.R. Road Services Departments purchase has been in resoect of the goons transport rights between the railhead a.. 1 Mangonui County only, and the b.inlocal carrying service and Kaitaia pi err. ises have nof been affected by the negotiations.