TRAMWAYS EXTENSIONS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19009, 3 November 1923, Page 2

TRAMWAYS EXTENSIONS.

COST OF SUGGESTED ROUTES. AN IMPORTANT REPORT. The Tramways Committee is submitting an important report to the City Council next Wednesday evening summarising the results of its investigations in the various tramway extension proposals. The report is as follows; The committee reports having completed its investigations with respect to the matter of tramway extensions, and herewith submits a schedule showing .linos recommended and additions to rolling stock and plant, together with the estimated cost. All suggested routes have been inspected on more than one occasion, and very detailed information with respect to each proposal has been obtained from the manager, copies of whose reports are laid on the table. The schedule is as follows: 1. ino to Forbury Park via Richardson street, including a balloon loop running down Blanket street and returning via Given street. The council has a guarantee from the trustees of Forbury Park to make up to £I2OO the revenue in each year derived from the portion of this lino that is used solely in connection with the carriage of passengers to and from the grounds. The estimated cost of this work is £12,000. 2. Duplication Caversham Line viaVvilkie road. This lino will enable a much improved service being run on the Caversham line. Estimated cost, £5400. 3. Extension to Carisbrook to connect the Wilkie road line with Cargill road via Neville and M'Glashan streets. Estimated cost, £2850. 4. Extension to Look-out Point. —The estimated cost of a single line via tho Valley road is £Bst>o. This proposed extension is expected at first to show a loss of about £1520 per year, but will open up for settlement a considerable area of desirable residential property. 5. Pehchet Bay to Harbour terrace, via Union street. —Estimated cost. £3600. 6. Konmura road, Mornington.—The cost of extending the cable line from present position to Kcnmure road (a double track) is estimated at £10,500, to wliUh is to be added half cost of property purchase and road formation £7700, or a total of £18,200. 7. Maori Hill. —This proposed extension has given the committee a deal of serious thought. The engineering difficulties in respect of an electric line remain unsolved; an additional cable line direct to the north end of the district is not viewed with favour, and we are therefore left with tne railless car system as the only alternative Allowance is made for three railless cars costing £7500, poles and overhead equipment £1750, additions to present shed for housing the cars £IOOO, and £3OOO as tho department’s share of the special street surface provisions to run such a service on economical lipes. This, makes a total of £13,500. 8. Petrol Buses. —It is recommended that provision for the purchase of three of these buses be made in the loan proposals. These would be used to “try out” any proposed extension, and could be used meanwhile on the Opoho line as the method best suited to give this district a means of transit at the earliest possible date. The order in-Council for this lino has been agreed upon m respect ot the engineering pro visions, but there are still a number ol questions at issue with the Public Works Department, and while ’ the petrol buses were being operated the necessary data could be supplied to the makers of railless cars with a view of determining the possibility of their use on the grades to this suburb. Failing a satisfactory solution of these difficulties the question of an electric line could he again taken up. Tho buses could bo used when required to deal with traffic to the Anderson’s Bay Cemetery and district. Tho estimated cost is £4500. This makes a total of £68,550. or, say, £70.000, to which will require to 'be added at, least .£SOOO to provide for extensions at the car sheds by way of improved shop facilities, plus- a further sum to cover the dunlieation and extension of the suggested Pelichet Bav line to serve the Exhibition if held at Take Logan. The committee therefore recommends that the above proposals be approved. The matter has already been remitted to the Finance Com mittee for report on the financial bearing, in terms of the standing orders.