TRAMWAY BOARD.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19146, 1 November 1927, Page 7

TRAMWAY BOARD.

YESTERDAY'S MEETING. I The Tramway Board ruefc : yseterday. Present: Messrs A. S. Taylor (chairman), H. Pearce, W. J. Walter, Geo. T. Booth, John •Wood, J. A. Flesher, E. W. White, and D. Sykes. ' The chairman reported' that the new atop oo the Sumner line, at Mount Pleasant, near the beginning of the estuary embankment, would be-.used for the first time.to-day; The Works and Traffic Committee reported regarding traffic-in Colombo street on race days:—When the cars bringing people from the last race are in Colombo street they cause congestion of traffic, in which the time-tablo cars suffer as well as the ordinary street traffic. Plans for renewal of track, in Oxford, terrace shortly to ba undertaken, provide for track- improvements at the corner of Lichfield street, which ijvill permit Kiccarton time-table cars to go out of town via Lichfield street, thus enabling the single track near' the Clarendon Hotel to be left entirely -free for the return race traffic. Pending this track change,'arrangements will be made to bring u portion of the fleet of cars from the races into the City by way of the Clarendon corner, £hus relieving Colombo ; street. South Brighton Bus—The committee cannot, recommend that the wishes of the South Brighton' Progress League be acceded to with respect to the diversion of the South Brighton bus from its present route to the new bridge route, thence to Breeze's road. The district is too thinly populated. The New Brighton Council objected to the Board using certain streets in the borough because of ' excessive wear and tear, and also expressed concern at the maintenance costs of South Brighton roads since the tramway bus used them. Consequently the Heatheote County would have good grounds for objecting to a bus running from the new bridge to Breeze's road along roads no better than those in tbo borough. Nor can the committee agree to any reduction in the present fares by bus and tram into the City. In view, too, of the fact that the bus still shows a considerable deficiency in operation, the committee cannot agree to any alteration in ' section lengths with consequent reduction in cash fares. This reduction, if given, would be secured by the casual tripper as well as the residents. Any concession should be confined to residents. The committee therefore recommends that 12 ride - concession . tickets between South and Central Brighton be issued at the following rates:—One section Is 3d. two sections 2s 6d, three sections 3s 3d. Track Renewals —The committee is pleased to report a further reduction in costs of track renewal work in Pap3niii road, due to increased efficiency in co-ordinating the work of the various sections, including continued interest by the men employed on the job, favoured also by fine weather. The temporary "crossovers" imported for the purpose have also contributed to the measure, of success secured. The costs compare exceedingly favourable with toe cost of similar work elsewhere. This important work is not being financed by current revenue account, as gome people suppose. It is paid for by depreciation fund, the fonnda; tion of which, despite the. criticism of earlier years, is now completely justified. The report was adopted.

Correspondence. Correspondence was read"' and received from the" Minister for Marine and the UnderSecretary' of Internal. Affairs .regarding the Board's offer to . contribute. £ISOO towards the additional cost of raising the new bridge at Seaview road, New Brighton. The Drainage Board wrote thanking the Board for its contribution to the new bridge to effect a greater clearance. Advice was received from the Drainage Board that sewers would be laid in the Fendalton district shortly. • The Cbristcnurcn Returned Soldiers' Association forwarded £SO, representing subsidy on the wages of returned soldiers employed by the Board. , The request of the- Redcliffs Burgesses Association that Celia ' street b» mads a

compulsory Etop was referred to the Works and Traffic Committee: The request of Mr J. S. Prestidge that a bus time-table box be provided at the corner of Manchester and : Armagh streets was granted. It was decided to advise Mr A. K. Hadfield, respecting spoil from Papanui road track renewal for S: George's Hospital, that the Board has no plant available for carting the spoil. ■• - _. . On the- motion of Mr J. A. Fleshcr. it was decided to provide a seat for waiting passengers at the stop opposite London .street, Stanniore road,; and on the motion of Mr John Wood, seats at Quamby and at Tui street are.to be provided.