“MADE NO PROMISES”

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 226, 13 December 1927, Page 9

“MADE NO PROMISES”

City Council in Defence of Its Transport Policy STATEMENT TO PRIME MINISTER SO far as the council is aware, no promise to maintain adequate transport services without an increase in fares was made.” The above contention occurs in a statement issued by the Auckland City Council in reply to questions raised by a recent deputation to the Prime Minister, who was approached by a deputation representing the Mount Roskill Town Board and other local authorities.

A\THEN it is recollected that at the time in question the fare to Onehunga was only 4d, it will be obvious that no promise could or would have been made by the council that there would be no readjustment of fares.” states the council, whose statement, having been forwarded to the Prime Minister, is now released for publication. “The council has consistently improved its services to provide as far as is practicable for its patrons, and has honoured both in the letter and in the spirit every undertaking or promise given by it,” continues the statement, before proceeding to analyse, as follows, the complaints of the deputation. QUESTIONS OF POLICY Cl) They (the deputation) desire a new licensing authority to be set up in place of the Auckland City Council, and suggest five members from the outside local bodies and five from the city, with an independent Magistrate as chairman. Obviously in any contest between the city and other local bodies, the Magistrate would have the deciding voice, and the position would be no different from what it is at present under the Transport Appeal Board, which if so constituted as to give adequate representation to all interests and to leave the balance of power in the hands of the presiding judge assisted by the Government's own representative. (2) Objection was taken to the council’s policy of running its buses as feeder services in some cases instead of bringing them all into the city parallel with its trams. The council has adopted the feeder system in accordance with recognised principles of giving the best service at the lowest cost by avoiding unnecessary duplication of transport facilities, and if the people are to get an adequate service at a reasonable cost the feeder principle must in appropriate circumstances be utilised. In some cases the deputation has anticipated an alteration to a feeder service as in the case of the Buckland Road service through Mountain Road, which is still running as a “through” service to the city, and its fears are now groundless, because the council has undertaken that it will not alter this or any other service until the local bodies have had an opportunity of considering the council's proposal for the guaranteeing of services which such local bodies desire to retain. PRIVATE ENTERPRISE (3) The deputation contended that private enterprise should be allowed to run services wherever it desired to do The council has not—as the deputation appeared to suggest—refused all applications for services to be run by private individuals. It has already issued a number of such licences, including one at its last meeting, and it tried very hard to iuduee the private proprietors of the G.O.C. services running to Avondale and beyond, to retain and continue these services instead of compelling the council to take them over. Strangely enough it is the persons who were interested in those services who are now fomenting the agitation for the extension of private services. The council certainly considers that indiscriminate multiplication of private services would be unwise, but it is prepared to consider each application on its merits. At the same time it should not be forgotten that the council has been called upon to pay large sums by way of compensation for private services whose owners have voluntarily refused to continue in operation and required the council to take over their vehicles. No doubt the proposed commission will assist materially in dealing with this aspect of the problem. (4) Complaint was made that certain services such as Te Atatu and Mangere had been refused by the City Council as a licensing authority. Both these decisions were reviewed bv the Tarnsport Appeal Board which upheld the council’s finding and it should be unnecessary to here traverse the reasons which led that board to its conclusions. In the case of Ellerslie it is difficult to see what real cause for complaint exists. Ellerslie, as well as being served by a railway station in the centre of the suburb, has a service of private buses licensed by the City Council and running right through to Queen Street, which service is run without restriction or interference of any kind by the City Council other than the imposition of the statutory penal fare, and we understand that the company running this service is entirely satisfied with the I licenses granted to it by the council. “VAGUE CHARGES” (5) Certain vague charges were levelled against the council, both of discourtesy and want of consideration, but investigation does not snow that there is any real foundation for these complaints. The council does not adopt the attitude suggested by Mr. Milliken

that, having got its Act, it does not care, but on the other hand it endeavours to give every application which comes before it careful and fair consideration and to do what it considers is best in the interests of all concerned. Where it has in the council’s opinion become necessary to discontinue omnibus services it has made a practice of conferring with the local body or residents concerned and endeavouring to make the best practicable arrangements to provide for the traffic requirements affected. As already pointed out, the council’s decisions are all subject to review by the Transport Appeal Board.

The council has already jffered to run any service desired by outside local bodies if guaranteed a gross return of Is 6d per bus mile, and it is respectfully suggested that if this figure—which was suggested by Mr. E. W. Furkert as being reasonable — is considered too high by the local bodies, then the council might offer to leave the question of a fair and reasonable rate to be settled by the commission.