PENNY A MILE

Hokitika Guardian, 9 May 1931, Page 6

PENNY A MILE

SERVICE CAR RUN. AUCKLAND TO TARANAKI. ALC.iv.LAND, Ai-y 4. 'i.iie .service c«i j..h i'-- I * l nU to i\ew iiynioutn, v\ men now iuum Oi.L at Uh a> cost ol JoSl UUUC Out penny a iiiuv, oners uikiL P 1 u U.iOO J-’ 0, uie cne.ip-.Si JUKI tuo Lia.ouei can niiueitaac m Lie Djlxuiiion 10-uay. oonipocitiuii between motor" in ms running cars on imu route m.s ot’c-iue, so intense mwy tnai smiutnnig xn i*w

nature oi a fui't-war is mm bcin 0 waged. it educed laies, 111 aduxiion io otner induiemeia>>, nan; been oiieivu by ttie various* sen ices xur several montns, and the latest move is a induction ol tile single lain to ti by an Auclvlaud taxi SrlVnC. v.ni.., bus ban cai'S on the road lor um msi h»months. in -November, when only twO services were running, tne s.ngie iaie was £3 os, but an immediate lo.ui-tiuii o £i was made with me iiuwai or a ; third service. ihe charge 01 .£2 o.s ! was maintained for sevei,.i months until recently a mrther rtiUwbiou w.m j made by one of the- firms io £1 lss. As ! a result there has been a variation m the fares charged by the different services, but tlie rumour , rom New Plymouth of the likelihood of a further concession by one of the services there, ! the Auckland company has forestalled the move by lowering its fare to .Cl

Effect of Competition. At present there are four concerns operating over the route, making iy all six trips each way daily. A short time ago there were five, but one tailed to survive. Owing to the suspension of the passenger .steamer service between Ouehunga and New Plymouth last year, the Taranaki province is entin ly dependent upon the highway for quick communication with Auckland, wn

which it has a great deal of business. The trip by rail is possible, but not only has tin: traveller to journey halfway to Wellington in the process, but is engaged travelling and waiting lor eighteen to twenty-four hours. By cat he may leave New Plymouth or Auckland in the morning and roach his destination the same evening.

“Traffic on the route is phenomenally good, but the present competitioli seems to be the way with motor transport, and does more harm than good, remarked the proprietor of one concern. Curiously enough, his comment was reiterated in almost the same language by officers of the two other concerns involved. At any rate they were going. of*' proprietor prophesied that there woo'd not he a service on the road ’’■Ahm twelvn months. The Taranaki-Alain Trunk railway. however, would h' 1 through by that- time, and in tiemeantime the travelling public woreap the benefit.