“TROLLEY BUS MAY REPLACE TRAMS”

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19201, 15 October 1930, Page 5

“TROLLEY BUS MAY REPLACE TRAMS”

NORTH BEACH SERVICE WILL SERVE AS TEST.

“When such tram lines as Dallington, Fendalton and Opawa wear out, there is the possibility of their being used as trolley bus routes. By then we will have had the experience of North Beach to guide us under local conditions. If trolley buses prove a failure the board will not spend any more money on them, but I am practically certain that they will be a suc-

This statement was made by Mr Frank Thompson, general manager of the Christchurch Tramways, in an address at New Brighton last night. lie spoke to a gathering of about twenty residents at the invitation of the New Brighton Greater Progress Association. His subject was the transport problem of Christchurch, with particular reference to trolley buses, which will shortly be run on the route of the worn-out tram lines to North Beath.

Among the statements by Mr Thompson was one that the board could have six buses on the route at a total cost of about £25,300. Each would scat forty passengers. The New Brighton Trotting Club held only one or two meetings each year, and the Tramway Board could not bear the expense of heavy plant aLI the year round for the sake of a trotting club which, holding only a few meetings a year, might at some time shift its quarters. If the trolley buses were not sufficient to cope with the race traffic, there were other buses available. In case of a big gathering at North Beach, the tram line along the Esplanade was being retained so that some of the crowd could be taken via New Brighton. The chairman (Mr W. Dean) said that transport was one of the most important problems that interested New Brighton. The Tramway Board had recently embarked upon a new scheme in the trolley buses. Electricity or Petrol?

Dealing with trolley . buses, Mr Thompson said that use of locallymade electric power was preferable to petrol. The latter commodity was in the hands of powerful concerns w’ho could hold up the board on the question of price. A shipping strike would make no difference to the fuel for the trolley buses. They weighed ten tons, including passengers, forty of whom could be seated. The buses each cost £2200.