TROLLEY BUS SERVICE FOR WANGANUI RECOMMENDED

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 89, Issue 269, 14 November 1945, Page 6

TROLLEY BUS SERVICE FOR WANGANUI RECOMMENDED

TRAMWAYS OUT OF DATE

RENEWAL WOULD BE NECESSARY WITHIN PERIOD OF FIVE YEARS

Stating; that the existing tramway system in Wanganui would be worn out within the next five to eight years, the engineer and the manager, Mr. L. F. Row, recommended in a special report to the City Council last night that trolley buses, supplemented by petrol buses, replace the present trams, the change-over to be carried out in progressive stages. The total cost of the whole new system is estimated at £130.000 and the engineer recommends that the Wanganui East route be given first priority when trolley buses are introduced. The engineer stressed, however, tha L the present net tramway debt is approximately £109,000. Five tramway loans still current would all be redeemed between 1948 and 1957 and the engineer suggested that any new capita] expenditure be deferred till after 1948. Present gross operating costs, however, exceeded revenue by 25 to 40 per cent., leaving the balance to be collected from rates. The suggested new system, while cheaper to operate than trams, would not be self supporting on the present, rate of fares.

“Slightly increased fares iand a twofare system is therefore recommended, particularly for Wanganui East” the engineer added. He suggested also that when the new system is introduced all return trips which could not produce in fares an average of at least 50 per cent, of the gross operating cost should be eliminated from the timetable. RECOMMENDATIONS It was recommended that the change-over io trolley buses and petrol buses be carried out in five main stages, as follows: (1) Wanganui East: Purchase four 32-seater petrol buses, at. an estimated cost of £14,000; purchase three 40seater trolley buses (£16,500); purchase and erection of gear for overhead lines (£12,700). Petrol buses be operated on this route till it is prepared for trolley buses.

(2) Upper Aramoho: Operate petrol buses from Aramoho Railway to Aramoho Park and remove tram tracks. (3) City to Aramoho: Purchase two 25-seater petrol buses (£6000); purchase four 40-seater trolley buses (£22,000); install rectifier plant in Halswell Street vicinity (£4500); purchase and erect gear for overhead lines and additional feeders (£12,000) ; operate petrol buses till the route is prepared for trolley buses. (4) Gonville Junction to Castlecliff: Purchase one 32-seater petrol bqs (£3500); remodel tram barn and install servicing equipment (£3300); operate petrol buses from Gonville. Junction to Castlecliff and remove tram track. (5) City to Gonville Junction: Purchase one 25-seater petrol bus (£3000): purchase four 40-seater trolley buses (£22,000): nurchase and erect gear for overhead lines (£10,500); operate petrol buses till the route is prepared for trolley buses, maintaining Alma Roan tram service as long as possible in order to prevent overloading buses till trolley bus is running.

“As already stated it is advisable to defer expenditure as far as possible till loan commitments taper off,” the engineer added. “With the present condition of the tram track, however' it is doubtful whether it is economical to defer the first stage of the changeover for more than one or two years. Further expenditure on tram rails should be. avoided if possible as the rolling stock would not live out more than a quarter the life of any new rails. It would cost in excess of £lB,000 to renew only two miles of tram track. This sum would go a long way toward converting the Wanganui East roufb to trolley buses, and there is nearly one mile of fairly good rails in this section which could be salvaged I for the repair of other routes.” The engineer’s report covered every aspect of the city’s transport system. He traced the history of the present tramways, dealt with transport trends and what was generally considered as the ideal service, reviewed the Wanganui East route in particular, and made recommendations for the future of the city’s public transport system. FIRST TRAM SERVICE Early in his report, Mr. Row stated that for some years it had been obvious that the city’s tramway system fell far short of present day ’requirements. A complete overhaul and renewal not only of the equipment, but of the standards of the service, would need to be faced up to in the near future. The first tramway service in Wanganui began running on December 11. 1908, from Taupo Quay to the Aramoho Railway Station, extended in 1912 to Gonville and Castlecliff, and in 1914 to the Wanganui East Railway Station. By 1923 the Aramoho route had been extended to the cemetery. The first regular bus service to St. John’s Hill was opened on August 10, 1925. Though it had never been a financial success, the margin of loss had been relatively small. In 1928 and 1929 the trams were changed over to one-man operation. As most of the original cars were either worn out or obsolete, the new one-man equipment, was installed in double-bogie cars purchased in Auckland after operating on the Takapuna steam-tram system. The change was made for the purpose of reducing running costs, and there was no doubt that the saving in wages was a considerable help to the department. On the other hand the excessive weight of the new vehicles had done much In accelerate wear and shorten the life of the permanent way. of relatively light construction and on poor foundations.

Dealing with modern transport trends, the engineer stated that many attempts had been made, to improve the tramcar, some of the latest models being efficient and attractive. Basically, however, it remained a 1915-1920 vehicle operating against 1945 competitors. In many) of the larger cities where traffic congestion has crowded out all competitors, the tramcar would continue to serve the population because “getting there somehow” remained the major problem and left uttle Scope for pondering on “how best to, get there.” This, however, did not apply in the smaller open-type cities. A steel-tyred vehicle running on a steel track may present financial advantages in larger cities, but could not compete with the modern pneu-matic-tyred omnibus or trolley bin when the comfort of passengers was considered. TOTAL ROAD USAGE An important factor when choosing the general type of public passenger service was “total road usage.” Wanganui streets were available for the general use or cycles, private cars, trucks and all types of trade vehicles. It was necessary to consider the com-

fort, safety and general rights of these users in relations to conditions created by public passenger vehicles. “With the existing type of tram service it has long been obvious that a tram route is synonomous with an inferior general traffic route,’’ Mr. Row stated. “No system of track construction within the financial reach of this community can be suggested which would assure a good motoring surface adjacent 1o a tram line.

"It is difficult to assess this factor m monetary terms but there is no doubt that the existence of tram tracks deprives other road users of a large measure of road comfort and road safety, and contributes to excessive wear in motor vehicles of all types. That most tram routes are located along through traffic streets, accentmates this'feature and gives the visitor an adverse impression of the city. Apart from the street surface aspect, traffic control is also important. Our present system causes marked traffic congestion in Victoria Avenue and accentuates the car parking problem. A public passenger service based entirely on pneumatic-tyred vehicles would bring about an improved main street system for all users and could be designed with th? minimum obstruction to the free flow of ordinary traffic.”, DEPLORABLE CONDITION * The engineer added that it was not necessary to stress the deplorable condition ot the 17 miles of tram track. Not only were the rails nearly worn out, but it was financially impossible to restore and maintain them to a condition compatible with present-day street requirements. The estimated cost of renewing tram tracks alone, without allowing for the new trams and overhead equipment, would be at least £155,000. Some sections of the track were better than others, but it was safe to say that the next five or six years would see more than 50 per cent, of the track practically unusable. • While the trolley wire and feeder cables had been progressively renewed and maintained to a reasonably good standard, the remainder of the overhead equipment was in poor shape. More than 80 per cent, of the hardwood poles had been in service from 30 to 37 years, and a comprehensive programme of renewals would need to be undertaken within the next few years if public safety and regular service were to be assured.

“The double-bogie cars, which were purchased second-hand in 1928, have each completed more than 500,000 miles of running in Wanganui. Tho few single-truck cars still in service have done an even greater mileage. While tram cars can be compared to the old soldiers who “never die,” it does not require a very close inspection of the local fleet to discover that they show marked signs of “fading away.” Maintenance costs and frequency of breakdowns will get progressively higher,” the engineer stated. Referring to the financial aspect, Mr. Row stated that the net tramway debt was approximately £109,000, an J that five tramway loans still current would all be redeemed between 1948 rand 1957. Annual loan charges for interest and sinking fund were at present. £15,556, but would be progressively reduced during the next 15 years. While the department’s revenue was reaching its peak, operating costs were still mounting. With the end of the war and a gradual return to the more extensive use of private molor-cars, a decline in the number of passengers carried could be expected. The only hope of retaining patronage and increasing revenues was by an improved standard of service. At present rates had to meet 27.2 per cent, of tramway operating costs. “As already indicated*, the tram is considered obsolete for this city,” Mr. Row added. TROLLEY BUS ADVANTAGES

"In recent years the trolley bus has been brought very prominently to public notice. On good roads and under favourable traffic conditions it is the most popular mode of public transport yet. introduced. Chief advantages are: Almost complete absence ot noise; more comfortable riding than any other vehicle; absence oi fumes; due to quick acceleration has the fastest speed in traffic; convenient and safe kerbside loading; small maintenance cost; little falling off in efficiency throughout its life; f ood manoeuverability in traffic; does not rely on imported fuel; smooth acceleration tends to less wear on tyres than other vehicles; longer life than Diesel or petrol bus.

"As compared with petrol or Diesel buses the trolley bus has disadvantages; From 25 to 50 per cent, greater initial cost of vehicle (this is offset by longer life and greater seating capacity); necessity lor expensive overhead electrical equipment; fixation of route owing to overhead lines; greater road weight.” While the Diesel bus had some advantages. there were disadvantages such as higher initial cost, greater vibration (particularly when idling) and the smell of fumes being more pronounced. For light traffic routes the petrol bus had much to commend it. “The choice of vehicle for Wanganui’s future service lies between the petrol bus the Diesel bus and the trolley bus. Each has its own particular advantages, depending upon the local conditions under which it operates,” the .engineer stated.

“On a long run with intermittent light loading, the capital cost of overhead lines would obviously preclude the use of a trolley bus. In such cases a light petrol bus would not only prove thp more economical vehicle, but would be capable of providing satisfactory service. On short routes with heavy loading and frequent trips, the capital charges for overhead lines could be spread over a large annual mileage and the conditions would favour the trolley bus. Similarly, it could he shown that, from the economic aspect, certain conditions would place the Diesel bus at an advantage. "A very careful statistical survey has been made of each route in the city covering mileage operating costs, passengers carried, fares, time-table distribution of population and other factors affecting passenger transport. DETAILED PROPOSALS "From a study of these figures it would appear that the conditions strongly favour the introduction of the trolley bus with the exception of the two extremities of the service—Aramoho Railway to Aramoho Park, and Gonville Junction to Castlecliff. The upper Aramoho section could at. present be best served with a petrol or Diesel bus running direct to the city. ; Transhipment at. Aramoho is not re- ' commended except during limited periods of heavy loading. Similarly the Castlecliff section could be conveniently served throughout most, of the day by large petrol or Diesel buses. II is believed that the holiday

beach traffic could be handled by these vehicles if a proportion of trips was run non-stop to the Hospital corner, or the city, by the shortest, route. The higher speed* would result in nearly double the number of return trips as compared with the existing trams, and this would compensate for the smaller seating capacity. After trolley buses had been established on other routes it may then be found advantageous to extend the trolley buses to Castlecliff and Aramoho Park. The economy of standardised maintenance, servicing and control might well outweigh other economic factors. “Before a trolley bus could operate to maximum advantage, the street surface should be in good order and the trolley wire equipment should be in first-class condition. New trolley poles would be fitted with the latest type carbon insert shoes in place of the trolley wheels as used on the trams. This new type of fitting eliminates much of the noise, creates little wear on the trollev wire and has many other technical advantages. It could not, however, be used on improvised or- defective trolley wire fittings. “For these reasons it is recommended that trolley buses should not. start running until tram tracks have been removed, streets made good and surfaced, and the new overhead wires installed. While this work is in progress it is suggested that, the service be operated by petrol buses. These vehicles could run on trial over the suggested new route, and as a result of the experience gained the new timetables could be finalised and the route amended if thought necessary., As soon as the line and road work were completed, the petrol buses could temporarily take over the naxt section as the system is progressively changed from tram to trolley bus. Finally the petrol buses could be placed in service on the Aramoho Park or Castlecliff sections,” the engineer added.

“This procedure would involve an initial capital outlay of approximately £14,000 for four petrol buses, but this cost would be spread over the whole service and should not be charged directly against the Wanganui Er<it route. Petrol buses are recommended ip preference to Diesel buses as they appear to be a more suitable vehicle for local conditions and would provide greater passenger comfort.” “The present revenue from fares on the Wanganui East route was approximately £7600 per annum. It was estimated that on the present fare schedule the proposed new route would yield approximately £B3OO per annum in fares. This was 88 per cent, of the estimated operating costs. The present average fare per. passenger was 2.49 d and this would need to be increased to 2.83 d for the service to be self supporting. This represented an average increase of l-3d per passenger ride.

''There seems every justification for this slight increase. The present fares have remained unaltered for 15 years, despite the increase of over 40 per cent, in wages and other items which has taken place in the intervening years,” the engineer stated. Moving that the report be referred to the Tramways Committee, the Mayor, Ron. W. J. Rogers, paid a warm tribute to the engineer. “I congratulate Mr. Row on a fine report—it would hold its own with any report of a similar kind in the Dominion,” said the Mayor. *

The chairman of the Tramways Committee, Cr. S. J. Harris, complimenting the engineer on an excellent, report, said he agreed that the citv’s public transport system would have* to be reviewed. “I know that the engineer has been working on this report for 18 months or two years,” he added. “It is not a product of a few days’ work, or a few weeks’ work.” The Mayor’s motion was carried and the report will be considered by the* Tramways’ Committee.