PUKEKOHE BUSES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21562, 5 August 1933, Page 13

PUKEKOHE BUSES

TO BOARD QUESTION OF CO-ORDINATION RAILWAYS CASE PRESENTED The hearing of the appeals brought by the Auckland Provincial Motor Bus Company and the Railways Board concerning the Auckland-Pukekolie motorbus service was continued before the Transport Appeal Board yesterday. Mr. Justice Frazer presided, associated with him being Mr. T. Jordan and Mr. L. Alderton. Mr. Goulding represented the appellant bus company and Mr. Aickin appeared on behalf of the Railways Board. The company appealed against a recent decision of the No. 2 Licensing Authority reducing its services, and asked for the reinstatement of the original services. The Railways Board asked for a reduction of the company's services between Pukekohe and Papakura and between Papakura and Auckland, co-ordination with the rail to be made at Papakura. Thomas James Fleming presented_a petition signed by 200 residents of Manurewa stating that the railway was inconvenient. John Holt Lyons, of Wiri, said the railway was not convenient for residents of his district. They had more or less abandoned the railway. It was a great relief for them to cet the bus service. Paerata and Karaka Roy Cecil Clark, principal of Wesley College, Paerata, said there were 70 pupils and a total staff of 23 at the college. The bus service was a very real advantage to them. Benjamin Charles, farmer, of Karaka, presented a protest signed by 11 residents of the district against the proposed curtailment of the service conveying their children to the Pukekohe School.

Percival Hunt, chairman of thet Karaka School Committee, said the committee had passed a resolution protesting against elimination of the bus which carries children to the Karaka School.

James Muir, member of the Papakura Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber wished to make representations against curtailment of the services.

Alexander Neil, past-president of the Auckland Waterside Workers' Union, said he had been asked by a number of waterside workers who lived at Takanini and Manurewa to oppose a reduction of the motor services.

Presenting the case for the Railways Board, Mr. Aickin said Pukekohe and Papakura were adequately served by the railway. Pukekohe was remarkably well served. The trains were fast and their spacing was good. The bus took 1 hour 40 minutes to make the journey, eitherwwar,j r , between Auckland and Pukekohe. The average running time of the nine trains from Auckland to Pukekohe was 1 hour 14J minutes. The district was equally well served by the trains from Pukekohe to Auckland, the average running time of these being 1 hour 17 minutes. was, therefore, an advantage of time in favour of the railways.

Distance to Stations With regard to the distance of the Auckland railway station from places of business, said Mr. Aickin, Auckland would live to see the day when it would be grateful to those who placed the station on its present site. Evidence had been given concerning the distances which many residents lived from the stations served by the line. He would remind them that in cities, too, people had to walk long distances to and from their homes, even when they were served by tramcars. The district between Pukekohe and Auckland was absolutely over-supplied with transport, although he was prepared to recognise that there was a territory between Pukekohe and Papakura which was some distance from the rail. Those people needed a road service, and a feeder service which would pay could be run to Papakura. There was also a traffic which could build up a feeder service between Papakura and Auckland. The Railways Board did not object to buses thought to be essential between Manurewa and Auckland, but submitted that the number of buses from Papakura to Auckland was far too many.

George Thomas Wilson, railways traffic manager at Auckland, tendered formal evidence of railway schedules. Decision was reserved.