THE POSITION OF TRAMWAYS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3782, 7 September 1926, Page 19

THE POSITION OF TRAMWAYS.

TO THB XDITOB. Sin,—As a constant reader of your valuable journal, may I say a few words on behalf of the tramways? The general opinion of experts in this country is that the tram i 3 much superior to the bus for the rapid transit of peak loads. There is, 1 know, a certain section of the press which would like to see trams superseded by buses, but- their arguments show a total lack of understanding of the realities of street transport. A recent statement in the Witness was to the effect that London to carry its millions without trains. Well, we have in London 364 miles of tram track, about 2500 cars, and the number of passengers last year was 950,000,000. All these were carried on suburban service, and in two three-hour, rush periods morning and evening. Each car carries 80 passengers, and at rush hours 400 cars an hour leave the Victoria Embankment. The buses deal with about 30 per cent, of the suburban rush traffic at present, and if you had enough buses to carry the lot the congestion would be appalling. The speed limit on the London tramways is 20 miles per hour, and the average, including all stops, is about 10 miles per hour—about the same as the buses. The London trams show a working profit each year of about 400,000, but this is insufficient to meet interest on loans and repayment of capital charges, etc. The deficit last year was £114,000; but the value of the cheap fare concessions (14 miles for 2d) far exceeds this amount, not i to mention the annual contribution of £300,000 to the Highways Department. \ Again, the trams are compelled by law I to carry workmen at half-fares, morning and evening. This obligation is not im- , posed on the buses, nor do they pay in ! any proportion for the damage they do to the roads. With regard to the question of accidents in London, there are about f five times as many due to buses as to trams. _ . ( Here are some figures relating to muni- f cipal tramways in this country as a whole: i Passengers 4.622,500,000. Total receipts, £25,895,000. } The surplus was £2,117,000 equivalent to ljd per car mile for renewals. Incidentally the Manchester tramways contribute a. fixed sum of £IOO.OOO to the relief of the rates annually. Throughout the country over £1,500,000 will be spent this year on new lines, and the only cases where trams have been scrapped nave been in small towns, where the volume of traffic did not justify relaying the track.—l am, etc., ' A. G. Fitz Gerald. ' London, July 27. \