AUCKLAND TRANSPORT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19486, 16 November 1926, Page 15

AUCKLAND TRANSPORT.

SERVICES TO THE OUTER AREAS. > CITY COUNCIL'S POSITION. DUTY OF SUBbRBAN BODIES. SUBSIDY SYSTEM FAVOURED. The responsibilities of suburban local authorities in the matter of providing transport facilities for the residents of their districts were discussed yesterday b-' Mr. T. Bloodworth, a member of the Tramways Committee of the Auckland City Council, who put forward some ideas for the consideration of the City Council and the other local bodies concerned. Mr. Bloodworth expressed the opinion that the time had arrived when the City Council should consider the responsibilities placed upon it by the Motor-Omnibus Traffic Act in order that its policy in regard to tho Act might be clear to all parties. It was held by some that the Act itself decided the policy, but Mr. Bloodworth said he did not think that was the case. If tho metropolitan area were under one local authority the problem would be much more simple, but they had to deal with matters as they were, not as they would like them to be. think we may take it. from the number of private concerns which, under the provisions of the Act, have asked the council to buy them out that, except under very exceptional circumstances, private enterprise, on this side of the harbour at least, cannot carry passengers under the provisions of the Act at fares which passengers can afford to pay and still get a reasonable return on the capital invested," said Mr. Bloodworth. "In that ease it becomes necessary to decide what authority is to provide the required transport facilities—for transport is essential, residents in the outer suburbs cannot be left stranded, ueither can many of them afford the increased fare 3 which are being charged. 4 Provisions of the Act. "There appears to be some misunderstanding regarding some provisions of the Act. For instance, some people seem to think there is a clause which compels the council to provide a service almost anywhere if a certain number of residents demand it. That clause is limited to the tramway area, and even then there is no financial provision in the Act to enable the council to give effect to it. The Act empowers the council to take over and pay for, without a poll of the ratepayers to authorise the expenditure, services which were in competition with the council's tramways or omnibus services, or services to which a licence may be refused because they were in competition or would be in competition with any service proposed to be established, by the council. The Act, however, does not allow the council.to spend money on the purchase of vehicles to establish new services without a poll of the ratepayers to authorise a loan for that purpose, so that unless the council had sufficient vehicles on hand or vehicles could be purchased out of revenue, a very unlikely as well as an undesirable course, new services could not be established unless the city ratepayers sanctioned the raising of the money for the purpose. "A suggestion has been made that suburban local authorities should themselves establish omnibus services for the convenience of their own residents. I think that it is very unlikely that the ratepayers of those districts would authorise the loans required for such a purpose and I think it very undesirable that they should do so, because if they did we would soon have back again all the conditions which the Act was designed to eliminate. I think we already know enough of the results of the Act. to say that the council can carry on, in conjunction with the tramways, the services it has taken over, and that under the one control the system as a whole will pay its way, maintain itself and render a great service without adding any burden to the ratepayers. ? The Need for Adjustments. "I know there are mr.ny adjustments to be made in the present services. I suppose I receive as many of the complaints as anyone. These adjustments, where possible, should be made, but i think we nlay say tliat the great change in transportation which has com 9 about under the Act has, generally speaking, proved itself to be a change for the better. There are approximately 30 less omnibuses regularly in service than was the case under the old order, yet with the few exceptions requiring adjustment the passengers are being carried, and the relief to street congestion through the absence of the thirty buses is very marked. The saving in petrol consumption alone, on an average of twenty gallons per bus per day, which the public ultimately had to pay for, represents a eonsiderable sum saved annually.

"The problem of satisfactory transport to the outer suburbs, howaver, remains to be solved. I think the satisfactory solution, in the absence of a metropolitan council or a transport board controlling tho whole area, is to be found in the City Council taking over the main services which it has been asked to take ever and operating them at fares as near as possible equal to the fares charged for similar distances on routes already taken over. In the event of the services not bringing in sufficient revenue to maintain themselves, then I think the difference should be made up to the council by means of a subsidy from the local authority of the district served. I think that is a fair proposal from tho point of view of the city ratepayers and I am sure it would be much more satisfactory and more economical to residents and ratepayers of suburban '.districts than establishing their own services or subsidising private concerns to provide transport facilities, as I understand is being suggested in some quarters. Transport and Settlement.

"I do not think the subsidy required would in any case be large and it would ba diminishing as settlement, in the district was encouraged by the provision of reliable and cheap transport facilities. Increased settlement generally means increased rates, so that the local authority would soon get back its subsidy. On the other hand, lack of transport facilities mean slower development, and high fares mean that some of the residents at any rate will have to look for homos nearer to their occupations. I think if the local authorities concerned agreed to this suggestion to secure transportation by means of a subsidy to the City Council there should be given to a group or grouos of authorities the right to representation on the City Council's Tramway Committee until sur:h time as more nermane 1 arrangements are made. By that and by that means only, they would Uecome acquainted with the problems associated with passenger transport, and I think acquaintance wit# the problems would bring a more sympathetic attitude toward the body which now has the administration in its hands."