PIPIROA FERRY.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 5069, 24 December 1926, Page 1

PIPIROA FERRY.

PASSENGER CHARGES REDUCED. The Hauraki Plains County Council’s Ferry Committee held a meeting, at Ngatea yesterday, Or. E. _L. Walton presiding over Crs. C. W- Harris; J; C. Miller, }V. Madgwick, and C. W. Parfitt. PIPIROA COSTS. A return tabled by the county clerk showed that for the period from J uly 1 to December 11, 1926, thq receipts totalled £134 6s 9d and the ferryman’s wages and maintenance charges totalled £290 14s 6d. Much o® the. maintenance would be non-recurring. FERRY FEES. A reduction in the charges for ferry fees at Pipiroa was advocated by 7 Cr. Harris, who contended that it was cheaper for a cgir-load to travel the extra distance through Ngatea than to usje the ferry. Cr. Madgwick pointed out that a diversion of traffic over the ferry would mean a v saving in wear and tsar on the road through Ngatea. Cr. WAI ton raised the question of whether a reduction in charges would secure sufficient extra' passengers to return the snmie amount. He very much doubted whether a reduction to half would mean double the passengers., as the .service buses would not give up the Ngatea route on account of the loss of custom from that district. Cr. Parfitt advocated charging motorbuses at the rate as motor-cars, instead of at the motor lorry rate; as the ferry also collected from the passengers. Or. Harris urged adopting ,a charge of 6d single for motor-bus passengers and the same for a return ticket. As tickets, were only available for the day of issue the concession would be given to resident's of the county and through passengers would usually pay the two single fares. This could apply for six months as a trial. After some discussion Cr. Harris moved that the charges bet reduced to 3d single and 6d return for passengers on motor vehicles from January 1.

, CHRISTMAS DAY HOURS. The ferrymen were given permission to close their ferries from 12.30 p.m. to 1.30 p.m> on Christmas Day, PIPIROA TELEPHONE. With reference to the installation of a telephone at the Pipirpa ferry-* man’s house, as authorised hy the council; the chairman reported that the Post and Telegraph Department had advised that there was no chancy of connecting.to existing party lines and a, single line would cost £22 10jS| A year. . ' Members agreed .that this expense was unwarranted, and it yaslett to Cr. Parfitt to endeavour to arrange connection with some existing line.