RAILWAY FARES

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 18, 14 September 1931, Page 3

RAILWAY FARES

Pross Association-

SUBSTANTIAL , "CUTS" BOARD'S EFFORT TO MEET PUBLIC'S REDUCED . SPENDING POWER EXPRESSES' NEW STOPS

-Couvrisrht.

By Telephone— "Post" Special Service. WELLINGTON, Saturday. Mr H. H. Sterling, chairman of the Government Railways Board, made an :rnportant announcement to-day regarding a policy decision of the Board to substantially reduce passanger rates. Mr Sterling said that the Board had d'ecided upon an immediate reduciion of 20 per cent. in ordinary single ticket fares and tj institute "hojiday excursion" rates (equivalent -to a reiuction of rather more than 20 per cent. on ordinary fares) for return tickets until further notice. "In coming to this decision," he continued, "the Board has taken full cognisance of all the factors relating to the present transport situation in this time -of falling prices and reduced spending power. The proper course for a national service such as the railways to pursue is to assist in the necessary readjustment by an ap-pr-opriate reduetion in passenger fares. "The Board," concluded Mr Sterling "recognises that the immediate effect of the new rate3 will he a reduetion in revenue, but the substantial concpssi jns will provide welcome relief to the users of the railways in a period of depression and will prove an aid to travel and ultimately lead to increased use of the trains to an extent which will ultimately mean no ioss in gross revenue" The alterations will take effeet from September 28. Several alterations in the schedule of expressse3 are also announced. The Board has decided that the Auck-iand-Rotorua Limited from Auckland to Rotorua will in future stop at Okoroire and the express from Rotorua to Auckland will make stops at Okoroire, Ngaruawahia and Tuakau. All these st >p3 are additional to those that are at present being made by these trains.