TRAMWAY SERVICES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22008, 15 January 1935, Page 10

TRAMWAY SERVICES

LONG WAITS ON SUNDAYS DIFFICULTIES OF MANAGEMENT The difficulties of providing more frequent tramway services on Sunday evenings for the benefit of people returning from the beaches was discussed yesterday by Mr. A. E. Ford, general manager of the Auckland Transport Board. A complaint was received by the Herald from a resident of Mount Eden, who said that, with his wife and children, he had returned from the North Shore about six o'clock on Sunday evening. They narrowly missed a Mount Eden tram and had to wait a-quarter of an hour for the next. Several other Mount Eden residents were in the same position, he said, and he suggested tHtot the Transport Board could well make arrangements to provide an augmented service on those Sundays when fino weather attracted large crowds to the beaches. When the complaint was referred to Mr. Ford he said it was tho board's chief desiro to meet all the traffic demands and, in consequence, constant attention was paid to loading. Whon there was consistent loading in one direction it was carefully checked, in order that adequate return loading could be provided. Sunday traffic had often presented difficulties, Mr. Ford continued. At present, even on good days, such as last Sunday, it could not be compared with summer Sunday traffic of a few years ago. as many people appeared* to be travelling by private motor-cars. A sudden increase in tho traffic on Sundays was difficult to cater for, as extra staff had to lxi brought on for longer periods than the increased traffic warranted, and at overtime, rates of pay in addition. The cost of running extra cars for about an hour in the evenings to give a more frequent servico would be far in excess of the likely receipts. As it was, it appeared that the complaint was concerned not so much with crowded trams as with the frequency of tho service. Extra trams could not be put on if they were to travel almost empty.