SUNDAY TRAMS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3099, 1 June 1917, Page 6

SUNDAY TRAMS

MINIMUM FARE-THREEPENCE

TO DISCOURAGE TRAVEL

LONG DISCUSSION IN THE COUNCIL

The City Council last night adopted a i recommendation of the City Engineer to charge a minimum faro of threepence on the.trams on Sundays. The avowed object of tho extra charge is to reduce Sunday travelling on the curs. Following is the report:— "In view of the increased cost of running the tramway system, I have considered it advisable to bring under your notice the small return for the Sunday services. The regular service now provided is at a ten minutes' interval alter 12 noon until about 10.30 p.m., with additional cars where necessary to satisfy the needs of the travelling public. The number of passengers to be carried depends entirely on climatic eonditions,aiul motormon and conductors require to be previously restored to meet the maximum requirements, which on fine Sundays necessitate an increase in the uumber of cars equal to more than SO per cent, on the ordinary?time-tablo service. The result is that on wet days the services of the motormeu and . conductors are frequently not required, and in such caßes a minimum of two hours is to be paid for.

An Expensive Day. "A close examination of the receipts and expenditure proves that the revenue barely exceeds the expenditure, notwithstanding the fact that nearly the whole of the travelling is forplcasure only, and for this service men are paid at lime and one-half rates in the power-house, on traffic, and for cleaning curs at the depots. At the present time, notwithstanding the eitra rates, men at tho carsheds are urging that they be not asked to work more • than six nights a week at cleaning cars. I, fully recognise the force of their arguments, and consider that where possible work should not be performed on more than six days ,(or nights) per week, j have also to point out that the claims on the traffic staff are becoming too >>were owing to the amount of-overtime worked, du,e to excessive loading and .shortage of mea during rush hours, and that in order to give relief Sunday travelling should he mi.iimised aa far 'as possible in order that aB many men as can possibly ho spared may have the dav off duty.

The Only Way. "As previously pointed out, the only method of satisfactorily curtailing a service is by increasing fares, and in view of the foregoing statements, and in order that the best possible, return may be obtained at a time when the expeuse of providing tramway services appears to havo reached nearly to a maximum owing to the increased cost of coal and running expenses, I am of opinion that on Sundays after 12 noon no fares charged should! be lees than a minimum ' oash fare for three sections, excepting only children, the fares for whom might remain as at present. No doubt excoptiou will be taken to this proposition, but in view of tho difficulties arising, the increased cost and difficulty of obtaining material for repairs and maintenance, and in providing the service generally, I am of opinion that the general body of the public will not consider the proposal unwarranted under tho exceptional conditions now being experienced. For the information of the council I attach the following statement regarding the Sunday tram services:— Revenue. , j; £ Cash fares collected 16,218 Estimated proportion of fares by concession tickels 1.462 17,710 ■ 17,710 Expenditure. Working expenses per car mile .... M.tlSd.' Capital charges per car •mile >..• 3.45 d. Total cost per car railo 17.13 d. 223.334 car miles run in 1916-17 ' ,5 ' 9 - ,fl „„,„

\ T et profit on Sunday running during 1916-17 1.770 "The Sunday morning cars, with a fad. universal fare, contribute .£1355 of tho revenue above stated, but in view of tho discontinuance of the railway services on Sunday this amount will be considerably reduced, and for reason the revenue from tho afternoon and evening services will also be considerably lessened.

- A Plea For Delay. The report was taken in committee. When the council'resumed Councillor Frost objected to the adoption of tho report because he considered that the minimum fare' scheme would operate unfairly against tho people living on such small sections as Oriental Bay. These people would have to pay 3d. to go to Courtenay Place, and 3d. to go to Hataitai. On the other hand the people living on, a three-section length from the City would take their three sections for threepence. He moved that consideration of the report be deferred ■ until a further report had been obtained from the City Engineer. It was true that the council in committee had decided to adopt the repoTt, but the engineer knew now the views of some of the councillors who did not approve of it wholly, and he might wish to recast his view;. Councillor J. 0. Shorland said he would second the motion for the simple reason that councillors had not had'time to digest the woposals in the report. Councillor Bennett supported the amendment, and expressed views similar to those of Councillor Frost

Sectional Interests. The Mayor said that it was unfortunate that some councillors were trying to deal with the very first war , measure submitted to the council according to the interests of sections, and not according to the interests of the whole City. This was very much to be regretted. The tramway service was being conducted now only with the very greatest difficulty. .One of the difficulties was the of labour. A 'great many men had left the service, and the result was that a great deal more work was thrown on the other men. One of the objects of the scheme was to reduce traffic, in order that some of the men now working seven days a week might get a little relief. These curtailments of services now must be accepted, aud he appealed to tho council to raise no objections in the interests of sections of tho people, when those interests were in comet with the interests of the whole community.' Ho made a. reference to the recent curtailment of the railway services, saying that' when the department decided to cut down tho number of trains, this' was done without any noise or anything of tho sort. It was necessary, and it wus done as a matter of business. Councillor Luckie said ho did not. think the Mayor had put the case quite fairly. There was not a single-member of the council who did not thinlc wo should increase tho fares on Sunday, but he and others said that by tho method proposed a great injustice would be done to many of the people. The engineer said that he was not prepared at present to suy how that injustice can bo removed. This was the sole reason for asking for this delay. He admitted that there was need for increasing the charge, but; ho was not satisfied that tho method proposed was the best way of imposing it. Some of tho suburbs would suffer unduly. Hataitai, lor instance, was locked in its own little valley, aud the people, if they wished to leave it at all, had to use the trams. They had no road service. The same applied in it less degree to Aw Street and Brooklyn. Obviously, a. much fairer system would ho to double the fares all round. All that he asked for in the i meantime was that decision should be delayed in order that the question alionld be considered in all its bearings. Pot I the present he was not able to see oye | to eye with the engineer, but it was

Quite possible that he would do so at the end of a fortnight.

On Popularity Seeking. Councillor Wng'lit said ho would like to remind the council that in committee Councillor Frost had moved an amendment to reduce the mininiuui faro to twopence. .Now.he was moving a totally different amendment. Jle (Councillor Wright) said that the appeal for delay was no more than an endeavour on tins part of some councillors to show to those people who did not under any circumstances want to pay any more, that their interests, were being defended. Councillor .Frost's amendment was meant to side-track the whole matter. It was said that the proposal of tho Engineer would have the effect of penalising the people on soino sections of line, but it would depend always on where tho people wuntcd to go to. And in any case, it was not the fact that only the people resident in a neighbourhood used the lines running through that part. A man at Hataitai would bo penalised if ho wanted to go to Oriental Bay, but he would not he penalised if ho wished to go to Lyall Day, iliramar, or Seatoun. The wJiole purpose of tho change was to reduce traffic," and the engineer-■ had found by examination of the records that most of the people who used the cars on Sundays travelled one section only. The greatest reduction could therefore bo made by curtailing the travelling of these oim section trips;- Ho thought the report should commend itself to the council because a reduction in services on Sunday was necessary in ordor to give some of (lie overworked employees one dav of rest, not necessarily Sunday, in life week. He did not believe the people would object to this minimum fare. Councillor Atkinson said that he was always opposed to doing things in a hurry, and there nould bo much virtue in Councillor Luekie's plea for delay if the council proposed to do anything irrevocable. The position was that they were all agreed that the matter was urgent, and if in a fortnight it should be found that this scheme did not work satisfactorily it could he altered.

Councillor M'Kenzie Doubtful. Councillor jl'lveussie Miiu that lie did nut accept llit opinion that tiio threepenny iaro woalu reuuee the travelling on the curs. In the days of the old horse ears ihe threepenny tare was the only fare, and the cars wero always loadeu. lib thought t'ho right thing would be to double the lares. The only elect of ihe present proposal would bo to make people travel on the long distance iiues. Councillor Atkinson: JJo you think they will travel where they don't want ■to go just to spito the council? Councillor ll'iienzie said that the result of h\s observation of tho trains on Sundays was that all tho long-distance ears wero the heaviest loaded. Councillor Atkinson: Tho engineer says that the most of the travelling is ou tins penny sections. Councillor M'Kenzie: 1 accept his. statement and 1 bow to Ins authority, but I would like to seo his figures. (Laughter.) Councilor Hildreth said ho would support the adoption of the report because it was the cousidered advice of the council's expert, wh had gone very thoroughly into the whole matter. To say that lie had not considered the anomalies in certain small sections was to say that he did not understand his business. If tho thing did not work it could be altered in a fortnight. Councillor Luckio: And we would stultify ourselves. Councillor Atkinson: iVo, justify you. Councillor Harber said ho iyo"nld vote to bring in the change as quickly as possible. Thoso councillors who wanted to postpone the question simply wanted to find out which was tho popular side with tho public, and. then having found out they would go for that. Councillor Atkinson: Now, there you have it from an expert! (Laughter.; Councillor Barber said lie did not agree that 'it would bo fair to double tho fares, becauso it would increase the burden on the people who had to uso the oars. A man might walk from Courtenay Place into the city, but it was a different matter to walk from Island Bay. Report Adopted. A division was taken ou tho amendment, which was lost by ten. votes ti> live. Following was- tho division list:— ]?or the amendment: Bennett, I'Vost, Luckie, M'lvonxie, Shorland. Against tho amendment: The Mayor, liarber, Atkinson, Castle, Godber, Hildroth, Norwood, Vcitch, Thompson, Wright. .- ' 8 Tho report was adopted, lo como into force on Sunday, June 10.