TRANSPORT PROBLEMS

Taranaki Daily News, 4 March 1935, Page 7

TRANSPORT PROBLEMS

METHODS IN QUEENSLAND. THE CASE FOR THE RAILWAYS. Some interesting details regarding the transport problem in Queensland were given to a Daily News reporter last night by. Mr. J.W. Davidson, chairman of the' Transport Board and Comhiissioner of Railways in that State. “The problem of transport in regard to. the competition between railways and motor vehicles is one that has given trouble iif nearly every country in the world,” ..be continued. “Though it has not yet been definitely solved, there seems .to be no .doubt that- adequate protection must be given to the railways. In. addition,-, belonging to the people, the railways have made the development of the - country -possible and are an absolute ..necessity to the primary and secondary industries. This is a fact that must be recognised.” Mr. Davidson explained tliat. in Queensland- all roads running alongside the railways were designated as “traffic routes.” There were no restrictions upon motor transport up to a distance of 15 miles, but beyond that distance special fees had to be paid, and these fees were rather severe, making the motor services hard to run at a profit. There were no restrictions upon any roads except the traffic routes. All applications and problems were considered by the State Transport Board, consisting of Mr. Davidson (chairman), the commissioners of roads and police. Their decisions were final, there being no appeal boards. So far . the system was working satisfactorily. - ■ In many ways Mr. Davidson is vested with autocratic powers. Should he find that any firm is giving the smaller profitable business to the motor transport and the heavy, less profitable work to the railways, he can put a special heavy railway tariff on that firm. Since the inauguration of the present scheme many of the larger firms had co-ordinated with the railways in many ways and had found that in this way they had been able to make their businesses more profitable, he said. It appeared to him that there was no reason why the two services could not co-or-dinate.

Mr. Davidson is studying New Zealand railway methods, but was naturally unwilling to offer any comment. His only observation' was that generally the roads in New Zealand were much better than those in Queensland.