COAST FARES

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 17911, 15 October 1932, Page 2

COAST FARES

(To the Editor of tho Herald.) Sir,—Your issue of the 12Hl inst. contained a paragraph about complaints from Tolaga Bay regarding the increased service ear fares. As an ordinary member of the general public not owning a car, not travelling a great deal, I would like to give my opinion as to how the decision of the Transport Board affects us on tho Coast. AVo do not suffer over-much from a surfeit of the amenities of life, and until the last few years it was rather a business getting to Gisborne, which to us is town. But when reading conditions improved and return daily services started at fares within one’s means, it was not an uncommon thing to have a day’s outing in .Gisborne, and spend a few shillings there. But now that the road has been improved still further, and it is now but a short run to Gisborne, what happens? Bureaucracy steps in and says, in effect, if you want to go for an outing or a day’s business you must pay more, notwithstanding that some of r.he services were tpiite satisfied with the fares as they were. As usual, such measures always strike at the wrong class. Well-to-do people with their own cars, it docs not affect, but small farmers wan slender incomes, workers with reduced wages, and relief workers with less still, wai only be likely to make the trip from absolute necessity. A glance at tho number of empty service vehicles just lately is proof of that. I think the Chamber of Commerce would do well to take the matter up, as the Coast townships were rapidly becoming suburbs of Gisborne, and materially adding to her prosperity. Yours, etc., COAST RESIDENT.