NEW PLYMOUTH TRAMS.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 August 1920, Page 4

NEW PLYMOUTH TRAMS.

PRAISE OF ENGLISH VISITOR. TRACKLESS SYSTEM FAVORED, A distinguished English visitor to New Plymouth, in the person of Sir Arnold Gridley, who was Director of' Electrical Supplies during the war, and had charge of, transportation in London during the big railway strike, and is now representing the English Electric Company, Ltd., speaks in complimentary terms of New Plymouth's electric light and tramway services, and also gives some opinions regarding the proposed extensions. Interviewed by a Daily News reporter, after a visit to the power station in company with the Mayor and the electrical engineer, Sir Arnold expressed the opinion that the New Plymouth scheme appeared to have been carried out very soundly, the money having been wisely spent and the object very well engineered. The results achieved and the low prices charged for current, in his opinion, spoke very well for the management As far as the tramway system was concerned, Sir Arnold said he was surprised to find such a good system in a town of such a size. The visitor stated that he had been over the routes of the proposed extensions, an<[ had not seen anywhere a better proposition for the adoption of the trackless trolley system, which was much cheaper on the first cost and produced almost an equally good system compared with the ordinary trams. In the present case an extension of the system is not justified, in the opinion of Sir Arnold, until the traffic on the route gives promise of being much denser than it can possiblv be for the next three or four years. "Commercially," he stated, "a tramway extension would not be justified at the present time, in my opinion." The latest example of the trackless trolley system in Great Britain Ims been thoroughly successful; it extended from Middlesborough to South Bank, a distance oj eight m'iles over very bad roads, yet the 'buses provided a comfortable mode of conveyance for the passengers. The New .Plymouth roads were infinitely better than in the instance mentioned, and ho thought there was m> question that the trackless trolley would he a suceess here. The system was not in the' experimental stage, but, had been tried and proved. Next to the roil system the railless trolley was undoubtedly the best, and New Plymouth, in his opinion, could not possibly make any mistake in undertaking it for the suburbs, especially as it would form part of the present service, working up traffic and ultimately giving way to the rail trains. To-day prices for rails were very high, and he was afraid the peak'had not yet been readied, but there was bound to be a retrogression, .lust how soon, however, no one could say.