RAIL AND TRAM SERVICES FAIL TO MEET NEEDS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27059, 19 April 1949, Page 4

RAIL AND TRAM SERVICES FAIL TO MEET NEEDS

Special Correspondent WELLINGTON, Apl. 18.

A phenomenal amount of spending and travelling was done by Wellington people and visitors to the capital over Easter week-end. After some months of caution, the public opened its purse to indulge itself in record betting, theatre going and train travelling. Not only were totalisator investments at meetings within range of Wellington up by 15 to 20 per cent, on last year, but train travel was officially estimated as the heaviest in eight years. The Railways Department regards the traffic as phenomenal. Every train has been packed to the limit on both the regular and relief runs. The Wellington City tramway service failed on Saturday night to cope with all the passengers offering and irate citizens who were left behind by the last bus on the Wadestown route rang the chairman of the council’s Transport Committee. Cr W. H. Stevens, at his home uptil 2.30 in the morning complaining' in angry terms at the failure of the bus® to take them home. They were told to call taxis, but were unsuc-. cessful and had to walk over the hills' for some miles to get home. Taxi firms also failed to cope with the demands. They expected to have the same hectic rush about midnight tonight.