TRANSPORT TO SUBURBS.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 July 1925, Page 9

TRANSPORT TO SUBURBS.

NEW PLYMOUTH TRAFFIC. ANOTHER MUNICIPAL ’BUS. MEETING OUTSIDE COMPETITION. A petrol ’bus is to bo purchased by the New Plymouth Borough Council to augment and. extend the transport services to the suburbs. On the recommendation of a sub-committee comprising the Mayor (Mr. F. E, Wilson) and Crs. V. Griffiths and A. E. Surrey, the council last night affirmed the desirability of purchasing the ’bus and left it to the Mayor to report on the question of financing the purchase. The Mayor said that he was not yet able to report further than it was perfectly possible and feasible for the council to buy the ’bus. There was no doubt that if the council -was to hold the traffic it now had, additional transport facilities must be provided. The two electric ’buses were working at their full capacity, and were unable to cope with the traffic offering, while no provision could at present be made for replacing the ’buses during overhaul or breakdowns. Mr. Wilson added that the ’bus traffic returns for June were the highest on record, although June was usually one of the worst! months. Mr. Wyatt (tramways engineer and manager) was in communication with an Auckland firm who were landing three or four English ’buses complete in a day or two, and he had suggested that one of them should bo sent to New Plymouth for a week’s trial. A suggestion for deterring private motor ’bus companies from cutting in on the trams was also made by the Mayor. He said that the sub-commit-tee which had been considering by-laws had thought that motor ’buses which plied for hire wholly within the borough limits should be charged an extra license fee of £5O per annum or £1 a week. ’Buses which used New Plymouth simply as a terminal point would not be affected. He did not consider it right that ’buses should be allowed to compete with the borough trams on roads laid down by the ratepayers and maintained by them and also pqrtly by the tramway department. No council could object to legitimate competition on a fair basis, but the -way in which municipalities were situated did not allow of fair competition on the part of privately owned ’buses. The town clerk (Mr. F. T. Bellringer) was in communication with the Auckland City Council regarding that city’s by-laws on the subject.