PLAINS BUS SERVICE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 4994, 30 June 1926, Page 2

PLAINS BUS SERVICE.

MOVE TO REDUCE FARES*

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ACTION'

At Monday night’s meeting df the Paeroa Chamber of Commerce Mr H. J. Hare spoke with regard ,to tha bus service to the Hauraki Plains from Paeroa, and said that the road to Ngatea was in a better condition than it had ever been. He thought it was a,bout time that something was done Towards lowering the cost of bus fa,res. The Hauraki Plains settlers were entitled to consideration. If the company could not see its way to reduce the fares from £l, then the chamber should do something to assist. There were now three buses running from Thames to the Plains, and the convenience of the settlers was being well catered for. Mr A. J. Andrews pointed out that the high fares had prevented a proportion of the business from coming to Paeroa which should rightly come to the town. The roads from Paeroa, and especially to Ngate.a, were now in tip-top order. It was not desirable to have an opposition bus started, but the move might come. Brenan and Co. had the mail service contract, which must help a good deal in making up deficiencies. He suggested that a committee should be appointed to go into the matter. Mr P. E. Brenan sajd that the service had never paid his company, and it would be ridiculous to suggest that a loss wias to be maintained. He agreed tha,t it was desirable .to cater for the Plains people, and admitted that the Wes were high, but said that the service was scarcely paying working expenses. The roads had been improved, and he would be willing to meet a committee and go into the matter, and the public could rely on receiving every consideration consistent with, a, payable proposition.

Mr E. W. Porritt said, it was reasonable to suggest that cheaper fares to Ngatea would mean an increase in the number of passengers. He instanced the Waihi-Paeroa bps service, which was now being maintained on a payable basis. No doubt the restoration of licenses would be a,n inducement for many Plains people to travel to Paeroa, their natural centre.

The president (Mr P. Williams) said he had learned that an opposition service was about to be instituted, the fares to be about 8s return. Mr Hare.’ thought that, it might be possible to pay a subsidy on the number of passengers carried, and thus assist the company. Tt was resolved that the executive committee be empowered to go into the matter and bring down a report, the president, vice-president, and secretary in the meantime to meet Messrs Brenan and Co. and go into the matter.