TRAMWAY TICKETS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 35, 18 March 1914, Page 8

TRAMWAY TICKETS.

ANNUAL SYSTEM CONDEMNED.

At the meeting of the Christchurch Tramway Board oh Monday last a report as to annual tickets was received a^d, adopted without By an oversight it was not given to the Press. The following is its full text:— Mr Frank Thompson, manager of the tramways, writes:— "I have the honour as directed.to report on the abovejmatter. The subject has been discussed on more than one occasion in the past. In my last report, two or three years ,ago, I stated that the system . would certainly lead to abuses, and to loss of nue, and that to maintain efficiency, it was essential that, some definite transaction between conductor and passenger should take place eaeh journey, either by the <( punching" of a concession ticket or by the sale of a cash, fare ticket. * * "If yearly tickets -vfere issued, it would be most difficulty to insist <&; the ■ production of the ticket each journey. [Passengers holding these tickets would quickly think that as they were well known to the conductor a nod would be and the tendency would be for conductors td acquiesce, m this arrangement. Ample evidence or. this difficulty is obtainable at present. Despite all efforts to tie contrary passengers will not prpduce tickets for inspection by conductors, and largely owing to the - Attitude taken up by "the public, it is practically impossible to induce conductors to insist that they shall do so. . "A large number of free rides would then be obtained by persons whq wer& not holders of any ticket, andlthere would be no cheek on misuse after expiry date. of those which were issued. , A check in the office, would ( be avail, as it would be most difficult to carry out efficiently. v ; "If the system were introduced ;other j trouble Board ,}n re-, spect of elaims for refunds In the case of lost tickets, or for tickets only partially used. Difficulties are already experienced in these ways with the present monthly ticket. They wcrald be increased twelve-fold if the annual ticket was adopted. "The conditions of tramway working are very different to those obtaining in the railways in these respects. . '/Another • Objection.—An . annual ticket would enable , the ... holder to travel fas often as he liked. This would Be inequitable. Its introduction would be soon followed by a request | from passengers who only-used their tickets twice a da*? for a lower rate than that paid by the passenger .who used his four times a day or more, and so on. '' Presumably the demand far an annal ticket y) made in the hope that a lower fare would be obtained. In this connection it should be noted. that, taking the system as a whole* there is no other system in New Zealand, and few elsewhere, where the fares ..are as low as in Christchurch. "'lf the financial position of the . tramways at any tip»e in the future warrants still further rebates, these could be more easily and more equitably, arranged by a- reduction in .cost of present monthly tiekets than by the introduction of an annual ticket. "I have oh this occasion sought the opinions other tramway authorities. These confirm the objections, noted above... Summarised," they-are as follow: — " ' . Adelaide—Leads to endless trouble and fraud. check only passible when each passenger gives conductor something in ; fare or . payment, either cash ois ticket previously bought. Tramways different to railways. heard .of any way of overcoming difficulties on'' tramways. Brisbane —Bad policy; tramway eondi - tions quite different to railways. Wellington—A serious loss in revenue would result. Dunedin—Fniversal opinion of tramway- managers throughout the world against annual' tickets. In actual experience - abuses arose. -Peak » load increased. Eeveaue decreased during time of Peak load. SydneyConsiderable loss of revenue. Possibility of forgery. Impossible to limit rides per day; Detection by conductor of fraud difficult. The Sydney manager was good enough to quote opinions of others he had received as follow: Blackpool, Lancaster, and Aberdeen—Annual tickets are issued, but great trouble experienced in making holders show them to conductors. Blackburn and Bexley—Leaves an opening for fraud. Brighton—Even with photos of legitimate holders there / is opening for abuse. Manchester— Bight policy to make fares as low as possible and then to secure effectual check, payment should be made by cash each journey. Cardiff; —Fares already low enough. No reason for granting favours for one section of public at the expense of anther section."