FERRY SERVICES

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 982, 27 May 1930, Page 9

FERRY SERVICES

DEPUTATION WAITS ON COMPANY

SUGGESTED IMPROVEMENTS * 4 By building another boat it would be possible for the Ferry Company to carry out a quarterhour service to Devonport. but that means extra operating costs that could not be borne by the present low fares.’’ said the Hon. E. WA'lison. manager of the Devonport Steam Ferry Company, to a deputation that waited upon him yesterday. company had always tried to avoid lii&h fares. At the present time it was virtually paying for the Improvements at Devonport. as the extra £ 1.32<> per annum, levied by the Harbour Hoard for the capital costs of the new wharf had not passed any of it on to the public. The deputation was a joint one from the Devonport Borough Council and the Waitemata Chamber of Commerce. consisting of Messrs. J. Hislop. F. J. 11. Kllisdon. C. M. Browne. F. T. Eyre and T. Walsh for the council, and Messrs. S. K. Kennings. P. X. King and F. Parsons for the Chamber of Commerce. The spokesmen Messrs. Hislop and Konnings, both agreed that the progress of the North Shore was largely a reflection of the steady efforts of the Ferry Company in bettering the services and that any alteration of the services had to be subjected to the acid test of whether the net result would be a financial loss or gain to the company. From the purely commercial point of view no one would suggest that the company undertake services that were likely to be a losing proposition. It was felt, however, that in this age of service and the supplying of the needs of the customer, that certain improvements could be looked for. that would both pay the company ami be appreciated by the travelling public. FIFTEEN-MINUTE SERVICE The first request was for a 15-minuto service, commencing at 4.30 p.m. and lasting until 5.30 p.m. and. on Saturdays, a similar 15-minute service at midday. Mr. Kennings stressed tho menace of crushing. now seen at Devonport as the rush hour boats discharged. AY hat was needed was control of the rush of passengers off the boats and the adding: of an extra trip to reduce the peak loading. Mr. A!iso:i asked how the company could satisfactorily control the rushing, and if the deputation would undertake it. Mr. Hislop: AA'e point out the trouble, but we realise that it is not readily cured. Air. Kennings: Put on the extra boat. Air. A. K. Alison gave the result of a tally taken on Alay 14. a fine Wednesday during the school holidays. The number of passengers on the 4.50 p.m. boat was 342. on the 5.10 p.m. 701. and on the 5.30 515. a total of 1,500 passengers- on the three trips. The three boats could accommodate 3.<132 passengers and that was on the liberal scale adopted by the Government, of three square feet to each passenger on the top deck and six square feet on the lower deck. He considered that the trouble was largely caused by the public. as before the steamer reached the Iris there would be 150 people who had left their seats and crowded about tho approaches to the gangway. This latter statement was in reply to an assertion that while the boats could carry the passengers there was not sufficient seating room for them. NOAH’S GANGWAY

Air. C. AI. Brown© claimed that neither the Ferry Company nor tho public was to blame. The real trouble v. as that the Harbour Board, although, it had spent a large sum of money, had not bettered the landing facilities. “Tho gangway at Devonport is as antiquated ,:c that used by Noali for his ark,” said Air. Browne. Air. K. AV. Alison: I have never seen a model of Noah’s ark, but from the amount of livestock that seafaring gentleman had to load he must have had a substantial gangway. He could, not admit that the Harbour Bbard had not improved the facilities. All*. Browne said that the gangway now had no more width than the two gangways used previously. A lot of money had been spent to achieve & result that was the same as before Air. Alison expressed the opinion that if the rush on to the gangway when i-

was lowered could be controlled, the time of discharging could be cut in half. It generally happened that so many tried to rush into the gangwaymouth that no one got into it until after some seconds struggle a section burst through. He said tbe Devonport people were much easier going. On r.Tce days the people from Auckland, used to lurrying on and off trams, actually got off the boats in half tbe time that regular Devonport passengers took. Air. Kennings remarked that part of the pushing was due to the anxiety to get seats in the buses. Air. Alison said the company \va* observing a timetable laid down by th© Devonport Borough Council and the Harbour Board. If it ran a quarterhour service it would mean another boat and higher fares. If the gangway design could be modified they could, 150 doubt, secure the co-operation of the Harbour Board. In any case the company would go into the question. “The dispatching of the boats on time does not cost any more, but in tho past v. e have found that people who ask for this are often the latecomers,” said Air. K. AY. Alison. Mr. C. AI. Browne said the company was too indulgent in this respect. Recently he had counted 54 people board the steamer after the scheduled time of departure. VEHICULAR TRAFFIC

The Ferry Company agreed to further requests to exercise stringent control over vehicular traffic on the boats and maintenance of the timetables. Th© “white line” system of marking traffic routes on the boats -will L>e adopted, as suggested by the deputation. Complaints of inadequate lavatory accommodation on the vehicular boats and at Auckland landing stage will be given attention. This latter question will be the subject of a memorandum to the Harbour Board. A request for an extra traffic boat from Devonport at 8.30 a.m. on Mondays was acceded to, the manager stating that in fact it had already commenced. For an hour, in fair weather, the two boats could maintain a 15-minute service: thereafter it would get behind time-table. - spray injured motor-car fittings, while cars were on the vehicular boats. Efforts will be mad© to overcome this. In acknowledging th© thanks of th© deputation for receiving a patient hearing. Air. Alison remarked that the company' was very glad to have the co-operation of its patrons in bettering the services. At a meeting of the Waitemata Chamber of Commerce last evening. Air. S. E. Kennings, in reporting on th© position, said that in one respect—th© extra boat on Alonday mornings—the efforts of the deputation had already borne fruit, and he was sure that the other suggestions would be carefully' considered. The Ferry Com- ■