NORTH SHORE TRAFFIC.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19474, 2 November 1926, Page 12

NORTH SHORE TRAFFIC.

APPLICATIONS FOR LICENCES. TRAMWAY COMPANY'S PLANT. TWO MORE LOCOMOTIVES. ' MILFORD-DEVONPORT BUSES. The future traffic conditions between the city and Takapuna stood in a very uncertain position when the Takapuna Borough Council mot yesterday morning a? the licensing authority for No, 2 district under the Omnibus Traffic Act, to deal with the applications 'for licences received at last Thursday's meeting. One very decided change in the situation was indicated by the receipt of a letter from the Waitemata Bus and Transport Company—which has for the past three years been running a service between Mili'ord and Northeote—intimating its withdrawal of last week's application. The sole reason stated was that it was applying for its licence to the No. 1 (Auckland) licencing authority. As the company was not seeking authority to run within Takapuna its change of plan involvod the cessation of a service by which a considerable number of business people living at Milford and the district at the back of the lake have for the past three years been making their way tq Auckland daily via the Northeote ferry steamers. With.regard to the United Service buses from Milford to Devonport, whose interests have been the main ground o! the agitation of the past few mouths, it was intimated that no application for licenceshad been lodged. Minimum Fares Fixed. The application of the Marine Suburbs 1 Bus Company for a licence to run weekend and holiday buses from Birkenhead to the Takapuna beaches, and trips on racedays to the Devonport racecourse, was granted, subject to the charging of a minimum fare of Is and Is 6d for return fares. Similarly there was no difficulty with regard to an application by Messrs. Hardacre and Keatley with respect, to what are known as the " blue buse?," running from Brown's Bay and other east coast settle- j ments to Bayswater. The licence was | granted subject to the condition that the I buses shall not pick np passengers foT journeys that both begin and end within the limit of the tram route. The application with respect to the four bus licences of the Takapuna Tramways and Ferry Company gave rise to a considerable amount of discussion. Mr. A. St. Clair Brown was present as chairman of the company's directors, and Mr. F. Lowrie, borouglj solicitor, as adviser to the Licensing Board. Two stopping-places at the back of the lake were agreed to by the company. . Service to Back of Lake In reply to criticisms by Mr. F. W. Suckling as to the present insufficiency of the service to the back of the lake in the middle of the day, Mr. Brown said he agreed'that if the tramway system was to be restored to its natural and proper position of carrying the whole passenger traffic of, the district it would have to give a time-table adequate for the requirements of every part of the borough. That would bo done immediately the restoration took place. If it could be assumed that the competitive sorvice to Devonport was i being stopped, the company would be preared to resume the running of a steamtram every hour. That, again, would be supplemented by motor-buses that would, together with the trarrts, give the district a half-hour senrice. On further complaint being made by Mr. Suckling that there was at present no trip round the lake between 12.15 and 2.15, Mr. Brown said the company would agree to run the 1.15 tram round,the lake. Eventually it was proposed to grant the four licences applied for, with an endorsement on each to the effect that it was subject to the right of the Tramway Company at any time to have the full tramway service run in accordance with its deed of delegation and the agreement arrived at with the Borough Council in Mr. J. W. Hayden's mayoralty. The final decision was held over until the evening., Milford to fforthcote. A lettor was received from Miss Bindon, of Milford, in the interests of residents in that district, employed, at Northeote, urging their need or assured means of transport Mr. G. H. Matthews said he thought that in lieu of the Milford-Northcote service, the Tramway Company should be required to run biises from Takapuna to Northeote, seeing.that consideration for its interests, and the bus regulations, had cut that district off. . Mr. Brown retorted that it would be as reasonable to ask his company to provida a service to Helensville or Dargaville, or 'to the North Cape. The Mayor, Mr. J. D. Morison: Do yon suggest the council should establish a service to Northeote? Mr. Matthews: Certainly. Mr. A. H. Wilkie recommended Mr. Matthews to get 50 Milford signatures to a petition to that effect, in terms of the Act. ... . Mr. Matthews maintained that as the Tramway Company was- being given a monopoly of the passenger service it was reasonable that it should be required to provide for Northeote traffic, in the interests of workers in that district resident at Takapuna. I Mr. Lowrie suggested that if the Northeote company cared to renew its application the council could agree to exonerate it from the necessity for diarging the penal fare. He could not see how the Tramway Company could be compelled to carry on traffic outside the district. Mr. A. H. Wilkie laid stress on the necessity, in the absence of any application from the United Service, for making auite sure that the borough would not find itself to-day without adequate means for the carriage of its travelling public. In order to leave no loophole, in that direction the board decided at this stage to continue jts sitting in the evening. No Word From "Yellow Buses." When the board resumed in the evening it was reported there was still no application i.-om the United Service. This being so, the board assumed that the "yellow buses" would not be running today, and therefore addressed itself to the consideration of provision for such matters as the carriage of Belmont school children to the Devonport manual school. Mr. J. Kerr, manager of the Tramway Company, said ho saw no difficulty as to his company providing for the carriage of the Belmont scholars if desired, as it already did for the Takapuna children. The company had made application to the No. 1 Omnibus Licensing District for permission to run to Devonport. In discussion as to facilities for workmen travelling from Devonport to their jobs at Takapuna Mr- Brown said that if the "yellow buses" stopped there would be no difficulty in getting the proprietors of the Narrow Neck buses to extend their service to Belmont, where it would connect with the trams. If that company applied for the right to ran to Belmont thpre would be no opposition on the part of his company. . "Before we finally grant the licence," said the Mayor, "I should like to have an assurance from the Tramway Company that it can fully handle the whole of the Takapuna traffic." Mr. Brown said the companyfnsd been delayed .in getting some cfe its supplies. It had not as ma.av locomotives in com- ■ S

mission as it would like, but the necessary material would arrive to-day- Two more locomotives would very shortly be in commission, to give a service "adequate to the traffic of the summer months. The competition of the other service had forced the company to cut its staff right down. If, therefore, competition were suddenly stopped it could .not' increase its staff in 24' hours. Although there might be some little trouble in adequately coping with heavy traffic at the outset, he'could assure the board that the company's full resources would be employed and the full service would be restored as quickly as it could possibly he done. The company would spare no effort iri endeavouring fully to comply with its obligatioo to carry the whole of the borough's traffic whenever it was asked to do so. The Mayor asked whether, in the event of the "yellow buses" not running to-day, as he presumed they would net in view of heavy penalties that would be incurred, it would not be possible for the Tramway Company to hire buses and drivers from .Auckland and Birkenhead. Mr. Brown said the board could rest assured that if the company's.own rolling stock proved insufficient it would resort to every possible means to secure buses and drivers. The Mayor: Very well. We quite understand that if the licences are granted it will be the duty of the company to make full provision for the carriage of the whole of the borough's traffic. The resolution granting the licences was then agreed to. It was also agreed that the Tramway Company should be given full facilities for the issue of all extra licenses for buses and drivers as might be required. ■ Mr. J. E. N. Gaudin: May I ask what will be the procedure if we find that the "yellow buses" are running to-morrow? ' The Mayor: It is wise not to meet trouble half-way. The borough solicitor said he had already advised the Mayor as to the procedure in that contingency. An application by Mr. Dickens for a licence to continue running the second service from Brown's Bay was found not. to bo in order and was deferred. What will actually happen to-day with regard to the large proportion of the Takapuna traffic that has lately been carried by the "yellow buses" via Devonport, was by no means clear last evening. Passengers who inquired from the drivers yesterday were informed that the buses would run to-day as usual. - • It is understood the United Service Company had an application for a licence to run services through the Devonport and Takapuna districts before the City Motor Omnibus Licensing Committee yesterday.