THE TKAMWAY SERVICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14708, 16 June 1911, Page 7

THE TKAMWAY SERVICE.

CITY COUNCIL'S DEMANDS.

MORE CARS NEEDED.

CLEANLINESS AND NOISE

Several important matters affecting the tramway service were dealt with by the ,City Council last night.

A letter from the Tramways Company stated that everything possible was being done to minimise the noise, caused by the cars, though noise was inseparable from a working tramcar. The construction of new cars bad been delayed by the nondelivery of gear from England, but the company hoped that the first car would bo ready by the middle of July, others at. intervals of two or three weeks till the end of November, and the 16 new cars should all be completed by the end of the year. 1 The Council decided that as there was an undoubted shortage of cars, and as the present rolling-stock was overworked and strained, and therefore noisy, to inform the company that its building programme for the year must be accelerated, and that the traffic inspector should send all noisy cars off the streets for repairs. It was resolved that the city engineer, the electrical engineer, and the traffic inspector should report whether the older cars complied with the provisoin of the deed of delegation that if the cars or any part thereof shall become obsolete or inadequate for the proper and efficient working of the undertaking, the company shall replace the same." The same officers were instructed to report what number of cars were reasonably required to cope with the traffic. The Council adopted the following recommendations of the Electric Committee: —(1) That the Tramways Company be asked to allow the traffic inspector to inspect the system of cleaning the. cars in the barns at all times without the necessity of a special permit from the general manager, as now required; the committee doubts whether the work of cleaning and disinfecting is efficiently done, as the traffic inspector reports that dirty cars have come out of the Ponsonby barn in the early morning. The committee is of opinion that the company's plea of dirty roads now raised after nine years of "running does not excuse the company's gross neglect to clean or sweep the cars, and that the real cause of dirty cars is the disinclination of the company to employ the necessary labour, and the fact that a too strenuous time-table does not afford the time at the termini necessary for sweeping out; (2) that the company be informed that an improvement must be effected at once, failing which the Council will be compelled to test the matter in Court; and (3) that the traffic inspector be instructed accordingly. Regarding stopping places for tram cars, the company wrote stating that the words "Car Stop" are being painted on the centre poles at all definite stopping places, and that a sign to indicate the places at which cars stop only when passengers are waiting, is being devised. The Council adopted the Electric Committee's recommendation that it should insist on the sign "Car Stop being placed at all the stopping places, and not merely at the compulsory stops.