THE FLAT RATE FARE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20384, 12 October 1929, Page 10

THE FLAT RATE FARE.

The question of a flat rate fare on the tramway system has not been in any degree clarified by the meeting of local body representatives held to consider it. Since some delegates were uncertain of their authority to vote, and others flatly refused to vote at all, the motion affirming the principle, declared to have been carried, is without any value at all. The representatives of Onehunga, One Tree Hill, Mount Albert and Ellerslie certainly favoured the principle, but those from Mount Eden, curiously enough, expressed themselves in opposition to Mr. Potter, who was in the threefold capacity of chairman of the gathering, Mayor of Mount Eden and a member of the Transport Board. Nothing more need be said about the value of the meeting. Regarding the broad question itself, two members of the Transport Board are conspicuous in their advocacy of a scheme which they say will bring in a substantial amount more revenue from the tramway system. The board itself has not declared the need for any such increased levy on the travelling public. The calculations, moreover, are based on the assumption that with a Hat rate fare the patronage will remain the same. There has been no adequate answer to the suggestion that it may drive away from the tramway system a considerable proportion of the business done now. The soundest thing said about the position came from one of the delegates to the meeting, that the various sets of figures produced showed so many discrepancies it was impossible to. found any intelligent decision on them. That is perfectly true. If, however, th.e advocacy of the flat rate fare is pressed toward success the one thing absolutely essential is that no decision affecting the urban population so nearly should be reached until the public has had an opportunity to consider it carefully, and express an opinion on it. The issue should, in fact, be submitted to the people at a poll.