OPPOSITION TO LOANS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 560, 12 January 1929, Page 1

OPPOSITION TO LOANS

Trackless Trams Urged

move for universal fares

ALL the judications point to there being interesting, if not actually exciting times ahead of the newly formed Auckland Transport Board. The city v. suburbs issue has been by no means obliterated according to the first meetings of the board, and this issue appears likely to continue, and even to assist in the direction of causing a full investigation of every question raised.

iNE of the first points likely to crop up is that of publicity. The Sun vs been informed that the meeting the board, as a committee, next Tuesday will he in committee; in other words *that only what is considered liable by the board as a whole, if • .vrhine will be handed to the Press. Messrs. E. H. Potter and P. S. Horton, two of the suburban representatives, have announced definitely that they reserve the right, whatever the state of thr meeting, to mak everything free t the Press, sc tha the holding of tta meetings in con mittce will hav little effect, excep that the public, ir stead of being sui plied with the new selected by t h reporters as bein, desired bv th public, will have the prospect of forming an opinion as between the reports submitted by the suburban representatives, and the replies made by those members desiring the business to be transacted behind closed doors. IMPORTANT QUESTIONS Two important policy questions will receive early consideration. One will lie the amount apd purposes of the first loan proposals to be submitted to the ratepayers by the new board, and the other will be the question of fares. It is now an open secret, which neans that it is no secret at all, that at least some representatives of the board consider that there is no necessity for the raising of a loan of some £500,000 to £600,000 in order to put tramtracks to such places as Point Chevalier. These members, after consideration of the most recent developments in England and other countries, are of opinion that trackless trams can give sendee as efficient as that of tramcars, anti that by their introduction the city could better be served in the way of transport, Richmond Road, Newton, Epsom, and several other places being selected as examples. The investigaliave also lead diem to the opinion that a number of the larger buses owned by the city, mui extremely heavy on benzine consumption, could be converted to trackE'ss trams at a great saving, both in tspital cost and maintenance. The same members are definrtely against spending huge sums on putting down new tram tracks, and any move in this direction is likely to lead them to express their disapproval before the public. There is likely to be a strong move-

ment in favour of a universal flat tramfare of 3d, the object being to cut out all concession cards, and make the ride from the Remuera terminus to Mount Albert the same price as that for 100 yards in Queen Street. The promoters’ ideas are that passengers should enter a car at one end and leave at the other, paying a cash fare every time on the American principle, and entering through a sort of turnstile which would ensure every fare being checked mechanically, as well as by the conductor. STATE OWNERSHIP One of the members of the board was asked this morning if he could give any information on a rumour that the Government was contemplating taking over all the transport, and running it on a State ownership principle, with control by commissioners. “I can only say that as far as i know none of the members of the board is working in this direction at present,” he replied, “but i know more about the reported intentions of the Government than I 'are to say at present.”

At a meetiug next Tuesday the hoard is expected to make a start of a discussion of policy matters. It \ anticipated that the board will have to meet on several evenings in an endeavour to arrive at some degree of unanimity on the future conduct of the tramway and bus organisation. It is reported that negotiations are in progress for the addition of several districts which desire to come under the Transport Board, including New Lynn, Glen Eden and Te Atatu on one side, and Otahuhu, Papatoetoe and Mangere on the other, each side desiring representation.