ROAD SERVICES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22903, 10 June 1936, Page 5

ROAD SERVICES

ACQUISITION BY RAILWAYS

D.O.T. AND EGLINTON VALLEY

(Per United Press Association)

WELLINGTON. June 9,

The Minister of Railways, Mr D. G. Sullivan, announced to-day that the Railways Department had taken over two additional passenger road services in the South Island. They are Hunter’s D.O.T. Motors, Ltd., operating between Dunedin and Oamaru, Dunedin, aud Timaru, and Oamaru and Kurow; and the Mount Cook Tourist Company’s Eglinton Valley passenger service, operating the Lumsden-Manapouri-Te Anau-Egliuton Valley route. Mr Sullivan’s statement says that the purchase of these services effects a further valuable co-ordination of road services under single ownership. From the public aspect it is satisfactory to know that, while the price paid in each instance has reasonably recompensed the vendors, the department’s estimates show, after full allowance is made to cover cost and depreciation. that both services can be run to supply the best modern standards of comfort and convenience, and at the same time provide a reasonable return on the investment. The D.O.T. service taken over includes the stock and garage plant. The assets of the Eglinton Valley service include licences, garage, and plant at Lumsden. seven vehicles, and the Cascade camp, with plant and equipment. It is stated that it is important to bear in mind that the whole cost of opening up the territory beyond Te Anau to Milford Sound, which is exclusively a national park, has been incurred by the Government on behalf of the people, who are entitled to the financial and other .benefits arising out of the development of the area, and the handling of the transport requirements by a national transport concern, with all its resources and equipment.

The D.O.T. service, which was commenced about 10 years ago primarily for the delivery of the Otago Daily Times in North Otago, was owned and operated by Mr G. R. Hunter, of Oamaru. It was commenced with one small car, which left the Daily Times office at 4 o’clock each morning to convey a large consignment of newspapers over 70 miles of road which, at that time, particularly during the winter months, was in poor condition. From the first, passengers were carried when seating accommodation was available, and later, when a larger car was placed on the run, the passenger service became a regular feature. From such small beginnings the service has been built up during the intervening years until to-day the fleet of service; cars is numbered up to 16. and a staff of over 20 employees is retained to operate the cars and control the service. The service will continue'to carry the Daily Times parcels to Oamarii, Timaru, and Christchurch, and will also undertake the delivery to the rural districts of North Otago. Mr Hunter will retain his present Oamaru agency. The Eglinton Valley service which has been acquired from Mount Cook Tourist Company has not been in the hands of that concern for long. The Southern Lakes service had for many years run between Lumsden and Manapouri and Lumsden and Te Anau when it was taken over by the Mount Cook Company in October of last year. A month or two later the service was extended to embrace the Eglinton Valley trip, and the company also acquired Cascade camp, at which accommodation could be obtained by tourists who wished to stay in the valley instead of making the round trip on the bus.