FERRY SERVICE.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16154, 7 March 1918, Page 6

FERRY SERVICE.

-t IMPROVED ARRANGEMENTS AT LYTTELTON.

The Lyttelton Harbour Board, in conjunction with the Railways Department, intends providing better arrangements at Lyttelton for passengers embarking cu. or disembarking from, the Lyttelton-Wellingten ferry steamers.

The question arr.se at yesterday s meeting of the Hoard, consequent on the reading of a letter from the Union iSteani Ship Company, in which the l>tiar>l was asked to lake some action to regulate the passenger traffic on No. ;> jetty 021 the departure of the terry steamer fro:u Lyttehon. Tho letter roieircd to a previous one from the company on the same subject which was dati-d Mav lliii. 101<5.

Mr A. Kayo (c'iaii':ua:i of the Board) said that the UnUtcr had boevi considered, ;:iid arrangement.- made for the liar!>oiirn.;i.:Ur < r one «: tl;e pilots, with two of the ISosrii't —all in uniform, or by ether :::„>ans sh .".m to be ouie.als—to keen the. gangways clear, and to endeavour to minimise ilie possibilitv of accident.

The report of the harbourmaster (Captain Thorpe) on a trial of the system on the evening oi February '27th was read. After detailing what bad been done, the harbourmaster suggested that the mail and luggage vans should be delayed fifteen m;nmes, in order to ;ilow passengers to get ab aril, li was alsn mentioned that friends of passengers conversed on the wharf with passengers * ill the last moment. Two mm were not sufficient to ecniroi the traffic: at least six were required. It was recommended that barriers should be placed at tho inner end of the wharf.

Mr S, K. Sleigh said that theie had been a-n improvement since the introduction of the system referred to.

The chairman did not concur with tho idea of delaving the mail and luggage vans. On liis recommendation it- was decided to continue the p-esent system.

In connexion with this subject, tho Board's engineer (Mr Cyrus J. 11. Williams) displayed a plan (submitted by the Railway Department) providing for the improvement of facilities for ferry steamer passengers. Ho explained that the plans provided for a railway platform in the contre of the wharf alongside of which the rails would be laid, as at an ordinary railway station. There would bo the customary waiting and other rooms, and a stairway leading to an upper level; steamer tickets could be collected at tho head of these stairs, and 110 one allowed up them unless thoy had a steamer ticket. From this upper floor passengers would go across the gangway over the tops of the railway vehicles, and so on to the steamer. Thus they would never need to step on to the wharf when boarding or disembarking. The proposal involved tho widening of tho jofcty to 103 feet. The repairs at present in hand only contemplated making tho provision outlined above on one side of the jetty—tho western side. This would be sufficient to permit of the new arrangements being inaugurated. The eastern side (where the ferry steamer usually berths at present) would bo ultimately widened, and the new railway platform would be erected in what would be the centre of the widened wharf. "When tho partial scheme is completed, it was hoped that the Board would be able to put in hand the completion of the whole scheme, which, in addition to the widening on the eastern side, would involve also the lengthening of the jetty, so Ihat the whole train could be accommodated on it; under present conditions tho tail end of the train is not on the jetty.

R«Dlying to Mr H< B. Sorensen, who asked who was bearing the cost, the engineor stated that the Railway Department wouid find the money for the railway platfomi and its adjuncts, and the Board would find the funds for widening and lengthening _ the wharf. Replying to Mr S. K. Sleigh, the engineer said that, unfortunately, the new scheme would not permit of the ferry train going right on to the wharf from the tunnel, or vice versa —shunting would still be necessary.