A VAST UNDERTAKING

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 143, 19 June 1934, Page 6

A VAST UNDERTAKING

The magnitude of the co-ordination scheme undertaken by the London Passenger Transport Board makes any New Zealand problem appear insignificant. Ninety-two concerns with a staff of 62,000 and 11,550 passenger vehicles are covered •by the plan, which, a Rugby Official message states, has been i marked by remarkable smoothness and efficiency. Of course the plan had a good foundation on which to build in the operations of the greater railway and omnibus companies. When the basis of co-operation between these was determined the board had to fit all the lesser services into appropriate places. Also the problem was a compact one. Though a population of 9,400,000 is served it lies within an area of 2000 square miles. This is practically the same density of population as Greater Wellington. It presents problems of a vastly different kind from those arising in the co-ordination of New Zealand transport services. Here, outside the city areas, we have small populations scattered --over wide areas. The traffic is much less and the business offered much smaller. < Nevertheless, something may be learnt from the London success. The principal lesson is thisr that unification of control, under adequate statutory powers, is the first step. When this is achieved the difficulties of serving all parts of the area can be satisfactorily coped with. ..