NATIONAL TRANSPORT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 10 January 1931, Page 8

NATIONAL TRANSPORT

AVOIDANCE OF LOSSES CO-ORDINATION THE SOLUTION EXPERIENCE IN AMERICA Extension of transport co-ordination and restriction of competition in the national field on lines similar to that pursued in Auckland since the establishment of the Auckland Transport Board is regarded by some observers as a very definite possibility of the comparatively near future. Close watch is being maintained on similar developments abroad and the date of the inception of a national scheme in New Zealand is set as that on which the public becomes tired of seeing steadily mounting railway losses grow higher without any apparent peak. When that day comes they prophesy a national transportation service embracing railways, all forms of motor transport, shipping and aeroplanes. Railway companies in England, which Were faced with a difficult situation as a result of the back-to-the-road movement, have acquired power to operate motor services and their authority is being extended to engage in all other forms of transport. In Canada, besides the linking of road and sail, there is the classic example of the Canadian Nation'll Railway operating the Canadian National Steamship line. What the near future holds is told by Mr E. Lee, a vice-president of the Pennsylvania Railway Company.

WIDE SCOPE FOR SERVICE “Railways can no longer confine themselves to rail transportation alone,” Dir Lee said recently. “Some of our railways within recent years have entered also the business of transporting passengers and freight by motor-car and aeroplane. As a result the term railway no longer properly describes the transportation service which the more progressive railways are offering to the public. They are no longer merely railways; they are transportation companies. “We have organised the Pennsylvania General Transit Company, all the stock of which is owned by the Pennsylvania Railroad. Using it as a medium, we have obtained, and are obtaining, certificates of public convenience to operate ’bus lines wherever such a step is necessary. In addition, we have acquired outright approximately one dozen companies already operating chiefly over routes of local or comparatively shortdistance character. These lines repi’esent a total investment of about £400,000, with 139 ’buses, carrying more than 4,250,000 passengers a year. Our plans include the sale of through tickets covering joint rail and ’bus journeys, the operation of ’buses to perform the functions of local train service over certain stretches of main lines and also, where conditions warrant, to take the place o. passenger-train service on branch lines of light traffic.

COMPLETE THROUGH SERVICE “The Pennsylvania also has 51 motortruck routes in operation, representing 4084 miles of line. The daily average tonnage handled is approximately 7 5 tons. In using motor-trucks for the wayfreight service the vehicles merely go from station to station, packin- up and. putting down the packages on the station platforms. As far as the shipper and receiver are concerned, the trucks supply exactly the same services as the freight trains they replace.. The use of trucks in terminal work is also.rapidly progressing. In this work, including participation with other lines, a ‘otal of 103 tractors, 309 semi-trailers, i. 5 chassis, and 220 demountable bodies devoted exclusively to railway use. In addition, a large volume of freight ’S interchanged by truck, under contract. “The use of motor-trucks, in co-ordin-ation with the railroad, unquestionably reaches its highest economic development in collection and distribution within terminal zones, thus making possib.o a complete through transportation service from the door of the shipper to the door of the consignee. In 15 monies container car traffic handled by the Pennsylvania Railroad amounted to 96,401 tons. TRAIN AND AIR TRAVEL “The Pennsylvania was the first railway in America to register officially its confidence in the future of commercial flying. The pioneer 48-hour rail-air service between New York and Los Angeles was established in July. 1929, and has been in regular operation since that time. Perhaps the ouptstanding feature of this service is that it permits longdistance travellers to enjoy the high speed of planes in daylight hours and comfort and convenience of Pullman cars at night. The most auspicious thing about the development thus far of the aeroplane as a commercial carrier in this country is that we have started with co-operation between railways and air lines. That is getting off on the right foot. It means that we have reached the point where the idea of co-ordin-ated transport is being taken as a matter of course by everyone concerned, including the public.”