TRAMWAY SEASON TICKETS.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 June 1933, Page 4

TRAMWAY SEASON TICKETS.

The decision of the Auckland Tramway Board to issue yearly tramcar tickets will inaugurate an experiment that will ba watched by other transport authorities with much interest. Auckland, like many other centres in the Dominion, New Plymouth included, is faced with a falling revenue from the trams, with overhead and operating expenses at a figure that would not be greatly increased if many more passengers were carried. The issue of yearly tickets is, presumably, to develop the constant usage of the trams by cheapening the fare and by creating a habit. It is stated that in Auckland only the purchaser will be able to use the yearly tickets and they will not be available on Sundays. It may be that in New Plymouth the municipal authorities have considered a similar proposal and have decided against it for very good reasons. The suggestion has been made .that quarterly, half-yearly and yearly family tickets might prove a success in Taranaki. No doubt for the first few weeks they would be used very frequently, but experience of family concession tickets elsewhere has 'been that after a few weeks the use of the tickets becomes normal and operating costs are not increased by reason of the larger number of season-ticket holders carried. The issue of such tickets, it is suggested, might be divided into adult and schoolpupil classes, with limitation in the latter class to usage for conveyance to and from school. Revenue for such tickets would be easily collected, the habit of using municipal conveyances would be stimulated because there would be no financial temptation to use other means of locomotion, and a certain amount of traffic is likely to be attracted through other passengers accompanying seasonticket holders. In view of the inquiry into municipal administration decided upon by the New Plymouth Borough Council the question of season tickets for trams and buses might be worth including in that investigation.