CONTROL OF TRAMWAYS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2410, 16 March 1915, Page 7

CONTROL OF TRAMWAYS

o SEVERE RESTRICTION NEW GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS The Government, through the Public Works Department, have compiled a now : set of regulations for the control of tho city olcctric tramways, and have forwarded a copy of the same to the City Council for its consideration. So far the new regulations have not been gazetted, and are not yet in practice, and', judging' from the new demands they make upon the city finances, it is perhaps as well that they are not. TI'O most important of the new regulations is ouo binding down the authorities to 9arry only a given number of passengers in, each car—the number to be yven later for each type of car. • Primarily, the regulation is to prevent overcrowding, which is a good thing, but municipally, a hard-and-fast law is considered to be not only harassing, but unworkable. It is said that a conductor will never be able to guarantee that he has not got on board iiis car more than the number stipulated in regulation. ' But what is a deal more serious—and is something that everyone should consider—is that : f ire regulation as submitted is insisted upon by the Government. Wellington will have to increase the number- of uarß at once, and. that more plant will hi/o to be installed at the power-house for the generation' of current, and that more boosters will have to be providod to feed the suburban lines. It will be a case of providing for a normal load, 1 bat the council would have to proviio tho cars and the power to drive them for the maximum traffic—that existing between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. It is admitted that the overpro.wded :ar was perhaps a. trial to the conduotor, v&o had to collect the fares as best no cou'd from the footboard, but With that disability removed the normal crowding of a car gave very little trouble to oitner the public or the conductor. 'lhe car-building position at present is interesting, and should be borne in mind when the regulations are being ooaoidered Wellington City at present has car-bodies completed, but is unable to put them on the track, as there are no wheels available. The contractors who supply tho under-triick and motors do not. as a rule, provide the wheels. Hitherto, these have been turned out in. quite a wholesale way by Krupp's, of Essen, but that German firm is said to be vory busy jußt now turning out very different articles, and contractors who have depended on that source of supply have, been' left lamenting. As the regulations, drafted, would make it imperative to increase the number of cars (in order to reasonably cope with, the traffic), it can be seen at a glance that the extra cars could be provided—but they would be, wheelless. There are other reasons that could be advanced against imposing fresh restrictions at such a time, which, will doubtless be raised before the regulations are finally adopted. A fine not exceeding £20 is . provided for the .offence of carrying a . greater _ number of passengers than are specified for in tho regulations.