RAILWAY BOOKING OFFICE.
DEPOT FOR SMALL PARCELS. CHECKING OF PASSENGERS' LUGGAGE. (special to "the press.") WELLINGTON, October 29. The decision of the Railway authorities, that in, the meantime passengers' luggage will not be checked at the new central railway booking office to be opened in Christchurch shortly, has been the subject of some comment, but, as will he seen by the Departmental explanation, the Railway authorities have been guided in this matter by their experience in AVellington, where no demand has arisen for the checking of passengers' luggage at the booking office. The position is that until it is known to what extent the parcels traffic will be developed at the booking office there is a possibility that there will not be sufficient room in the building for both the receiving of parcels and the checking of luggage to be undertaken. The receiving of parcels was decided upon in order to foster the parcels traffic by rail wliich, owing to the location of the station at Christchurch in relation to the centre of business activity in that city, is being seriously affected by competition. So far as the checking of luggage is concerned the experience of the Department in Wellington has not indicated that there is any demand for the checking of luggage at the central booking office, and it is well known that luggage has not been checked at the town office in Wellington. Up to the present there has been no complaint made to the Department in this connexion. The position is that when people go to the central hooking office for their tickets they do not generally have their luggage with them. As a rule passengers obtain their tickets at the central booking office some days before they propose to travel and hand the same to their carriers. The latter then take the passenger's luggage to the station and, on presentation of the ticket, check the same without any bother to the passenger. ,This system has operated quite satisfactorily in Wellington, and' there appeared to the Department no reason to suppose that the position would be any different in Christchurch. In the circumstances, it was concluded that the receiving of parcels was a matter of greater urgency than the checking of luggage at the office and since (as already mentioned) there was just a doubt as to whether the accommodation would be sufficient to enable both these branches of business to be undertaken to any great extent, it was concluded that, in the meantime, the receiving of parcels only would be undertaken. The intention is that if any demand arises for the checking of luggage at the central booking office, and the experience of the working of the office shows that tliis can be undertaken, the Department will be very pleased to take the necessary steps to meet the demand.
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Press, Volume LX, Issue 18217, 30 October 1924, Page 8
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473RAILWAY BOOKING OFFICE. Press, Volume LX, Issue 18217, 30 October 1924, Page 8
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