CROWDING ON TRAMCARS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19138, 2 October 1925, Page 12

CROWDING ON TRAMCARS

TERMS OF CITY BY-LAW. ALTERATION DEFEATED. THE QUESTION OF SAFETY. A proposal to amend the city by-laws to pi-event passengers from standing on the platforms or steps of tram cars was brought before the City Council last evening, the question arising "out of a suggestion bv a solicitor in a recent Court case that while bos-drivers were prosecuted for overloading no action was taken by the city traffic department against the tramway service for similar offences. Reporting to the council last evening, the chief traffic inspector said there was no section in the by-law dealing with the matter, but section 933 of by-law No. 1 provided: "No passenger shall stand or remain on any platform, or on the steps of any tramcar when requested by the conductor not to do so, and no passenger shall remain on a tramcar when requested to leave by the conductor." It would be noted tEat the only occasion on which persons could be removed from the platform was when there was a request from the conductor. He asked for instructions as to the traffic department's duty in connection with the overcrowding of tramcars.

The Finance and I/egal Committee recommended that section 933 of the bylaw should be amended by the deletion of the words "when requested by the conductor not to do so."

The adoption of the committee's recommendation having been moved, Mr. J, B. Paterson moved as an amendment that no alteration be made to the by-law on tha ground that the tramway serviws was governed by Act of Parliament and there was no comparison between buses and trams on the score of safety. This was seconded by Mr. J. Dempsey, and was supported by Mr, A. Thompson, chairman of the Tramways Committee, who denied that there was overcrowding on tramcars.

Several members held the view that the council should put itself in such a position that it could not be accused of acting in an arbitrary manner to its competitors. The amendment was carried.