SPEEDWAY TRAMS

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 132, 2 December 1930, Page 12

SPEEDWAY TRAMS

SPECIAL FARE CHAEGED

DOUBLE RUSH PROBLEM

■ Several complaints have been made regarding the sixpenny fare charged on trams running from the city to- the Kilbirnie Stadium, and more particularly to the placing of "special fare" notices on regular Seatoun or, Miramar cars during the rush to the Stadium, with the result that people wishing to get home to those suburbs have to pay double fares from the city. The following extracts from a letter ■written to "The Post" by a Seatoun resident set out the position from the residents' point of view:—-"I was waiting for a Seatoun car to take me home, and seeing a car standing at Lambton station showing three white lights, and No. 3, I asked an official if that was the 7.14 p.m. Seatoun car. He informed me it was. I duly boarded it, and when I tendered my universal ticket for my fare, was informed by the conductor that I would have to pay 6d or have two dips taken out of my ticket, as that regular Seatoun car had been turned into a special sixpenny fare car, until it got to John street, when it became a regular time-table car again. Are the suburban ratepayers given no consideration whatever? I was told that they were doing the same on Miramar cars, and that there was no car along Lambton quay showing 'Miramar' for half an hour; all were showing 'Miramar Junction,' with a sixpenny fare notice on them. Instead of encouraging the people to use the cars, the department is driving them away." PICTURES AND SPEEDWAY TOGETHER. The raising of fares upon regular Saturday evening cars, of which the writer particularly complains, affects those who are travelling home or paying evening visits by No. 3, Seatoun, or No. 2, Mirams.r, cars from 7 p.m. till k the rush to the stadium is over. As the writer states, these ears are made specials, with a minimum fare of 3d, for one and two sections, and a sixpenny fare, or two clips, for three or more- sections. Upon Teaching John street (No. 3 route) or Hataitai (No. 2) the special fare notices are taken off and the cars become ordinaries. The charging of special fares for sports meetings is, of course, not at all a new idea, but the transforming of regular cars into "specials" for part of their iiins, and the claiming of a special fare, are new. From the department's point of view the position is difficult, in that to meet the demands a large number of additional cars must be put on, mostly at extra wages cost, as considerable overtime is involved. THie threepenny fare, it is stated, does not give an adequate return for this extra cost. "Were it possible to sandwich in the speedway traffic with the bome-from-the-pictures rush the position would be easier, but just when cars are needed at Kilbirnie they are also most needed to take home picture patrons. In view of the difficult position of tramways .finance the extra fare, it is main-j tamed, is justified, for losses on special services would add to the difficulties of maintaining the regular low suburban fare of threepence.