WELLINGTON CITY TRANSPORT

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 43, 14 November 1940, Page 11

WELLINGTON CITY TRANSPORT

Training Of Motormen

MANY CALLED UP FOR

AVAR SERVICE

AA’ellingtou city has two forms of

transport services —electric trams and motor-buses. There have been considerable demands on the staff of the department concerned in these services for war duties, at first through volun-

tary enlistments, find now through the calling up of num through the ballot.

As a result there is constant activity

iff the training of men as motormen and conductors, men for preference who are not likely to be required for military service. The supply of bus drivers has so far proved adequate, but a good deal of work has been entailed in the lust few months training men as motormen.

Before a man can be a motorman, he must be employed as a conductor for 12 months. That is statutory law. Thtit law broke down during the last war. It may have to be amended during this war. At the same time, everyone concerned admits that service as a conductor should precede employment as a motorman. If the drain on the present staff continues steady during next year, it may become necessary to ask tiie Government to relax the ’<iw. to permit men with three months’ training as conductors to act as motormen. So far the department lias not contemplated employing young women as conductors : but the practice is now quite common in the Old Country. If things got worse instead of better next year the question may crop up. AVellington does not employ so many motor-buses as some other cities in New Zealand, because the tramway system is fairly comprehensive, and the Government has taken over certain services running out of the city to the suburbs. There are 22 motor-buses now employed in AVellington during peak periods. They are employed on the following runs :—From Courtenay Place to Hataitai via Roseneath; to Kilbirnie via Oriental and Evans Bay; from Seatoun to Scorching Bay, with occasional trips to Breaker Bay; from Brooklyn to Mornington; from Brooklyn to Brooklyn West; from Island Bay to Happy Valley; from Wakefield Street to Northland ; from Wakefield Street to Karori; from Courtenay Place to Houghton Bay, via Melrose; from John Street to Vogeltown (two trips a day) ; the round trip at Hataitai (up AVaipapa Road and down Hataitai Road, as tramway feeds). Motor-buses have now been in use for public transport in AVellington for 12 yea rs.