TRAMS BEST

Hokitika Guardian, 7 October 1929, Page 3

TRAMS BEST

CITY TRAFFIC PROBLEM.

EXPERT’S VIEWiS.

SYDNEY, Sept. 19. The views expressed by Mr S. A. Maddocks, after a world tour on behalf of the Now South Wales Government, that where mass traffic has to be handled on the surface, the electrictram is still the most efficient and most economical form of transport, has come somewhat as a blow to the bus advocates of Sydney, who were hoping that he ,would condemn tramsas some other’ traffic . experts.' \ have done. -Mr Maddocks was theit'drily" hope. Blip proprietors must now ’ facie the inevitable. Tney can make up their riririds that they will receive less sympathy from the State Goveniment than would have been the case otherwise, for the Government has been awaiting Mr Haddock’s return before announcing its transport policy. Hie expert found that unless a coni■oetitive transport... system could show that it was necessary to the public convenience, it should riot be allowed to destroy the earning capacity of existing services. As the trams in Sydney ’ have suffered severely from the competition of buses, the latter can now expect short shrift. “There is, no question about the reality of the traffic problem in Sydney and the State generally,” said Mr Maddocks on his return. “Almost over-n,ight motor transport has destroyed our previous conception of road economics, and much has to be done in patient thought and careful planning. A short stay in Los An- , geles, with its, acres of concrete roads, makes one realise what the-city of the future should be like, and what an; enormous expediture must, be entailed. Statements as to the alleged obsolescence of the tramway systems of, the world, and the substitution . in. the big cities of the motor bus for the trams, are incorrect. In not one of the big cities of the world; have the trams been scrapped in favour of motor buses. The motor bus plays an important part in the transport systems, but. in no city are they allowed to ran on the same route as the trams, as in Sydney, and to enter into direct competition and become a duplication.”

In this’ connexion it is of interest to note that last week the last of Melbourne's famous cable-trams—the joke of the world, it. would seem, judging by recent cable references to the antiquated system—was seen in Collins street. Cable, trams has been running in Collins street for 43 years, and several of the trams that were there ;at the opening of the service- were still t in use when the service was scrapped, so-little wonder, that Sydney ’people were inclined to ridicule the system. For .a time buses will replace the trams, but much to the disgust of some Melbourne people, who take sucli a pride in tlieir Collins street, electric trams will soon be running .• down that • thoroughfare. There has been a great outcry in Melbourne about the. “dispoiling” of the beautiful streets by electric trams with those unsightly overhead wires, but the tram advocates seem to have won the day, despite the fact that they had the Press against them.