ALL-DAY TRAM TICKETS.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 227, 25 September 1929, Page 11

ALL-DAY TRAM TICKETS.

MUST NOT BE TRANSFERRED. OFFENDERS FINED TO-DAY. When the Transport Board decided to issued all-day tram tickets at 1/6 each it was stipulated that they must not be transferred and that is also printed on each ticket. Several persons were dealt with by Mr. Wyvern Wilson, S.M., at i the Magistrate's Court this morning for , having travelled on all-day tickets which had been handed over to them by the original purchaser. When the case against W. Simms was called Mr. Mackay (for the Transport Board) said it was the first of a number of prosecutions that were being instituted by the board. When the all-day tickets were issued at 1/6 they proved a boon to many people, but it would appear that they might have to be withdrawn if the practice of transferring was not stopped. Notices in the cars made it quite clear that the tickets must not be transferred. I That fact was also printed on the tickets. In one case a business man had coinc into town on an all-day ticket from ;;. suburb, then handed it over to the office boy to run messages during the day and finally used it to return to his home in the evening. Mr. Wilson: That case is not before the Court to-day. Mr. Mackay: No, sir. lam only mentioning it to show liow the system is being abused. That boy was caught on three occasions travelling on his employer's all-day ticket. In the case now before the Court the young man was found travelling on a lady's ticket. Mr. Holmden, who appeared for the defence, said the lad's aunt had handed the ticket to her nephew, who did not know he should not have used it. She had written a. letter stating she was not aware the ticket was not to be transferred. The defendant had at ones paid his fare when it was pointed out he should not be using the all-day ticket. Mr. Wilson said as that was the first case to be taken he thought under the circumstances, as explained, it would be sufficient to order defendant to pay the costs. C. Westward, charged with a similar offence, was represented by Mr. R. Matthews, who explained that the boy was only fifteen years of age. This Avas not a case of a shrewd person trying to beat the Transport Board. The boy was using his employer's all-day ticket. Mr. Mackay said unfortunately they could not bring a case against the employer. His Worship said he did not think this boy was the real wrongdoer, and the boy would be simply convicted without penalty. J. Butler, charged with a similar offence, pleaded guilty. He said his sister had handed him her ticket to use. His Worship said this seemed to be another case of trying to cheat the Department and imposed a fine of 10/ and' costs. J. R. Strange was charged with attempting to evade payment of his tram fare. When the inspector challenged the defendant he produced an old tram ticket. Mr. Purdie, for defendant, said he knew that Mr. Strange was very absentminded and that no doubt was the cause of the trouble. His Worship said it seemed to him to have been a deliberate attempt to evade payment of the fare and imposed a fine of £1 and costs.