SUBURBAN BUS SERVICES.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 November 1917, Page 5

SUBURBAN BUS SERVICES.

DEPUTATION TO BOItOUGtI COUNCIL. A strong deputation of residents of Westown and Vogeltown waited on the New Plymouth Borough Council last night in connection with tlie propoaad »üburban bus services. Mr. J, Garcia (in the unavoidable abBenco of Mr. J. D. Sole) acted as spokesman for the Westown residents and pointed out the need of providing transport facilities to both suburbs. For wme time past tho ratepayers of Wastown had had no transport facilities, flbey had had the previous motor bus service for a while, and now .very much. A service would be well patronised. It had been said that a bus service to the suburbs would not att as a feeder to the trams, but the ratepayers considered that it would do so. A* things were at present it was, unfortunately, too far to walk to the tram cars if residents wished to get to the breakwater or Fitwoy, and too expensive to hire motor cars, but if it could be dqnn more reasonably and comfortably people would go into town and to the batch morn often. Tho Westown residents had decided to approach the council because Vogeltnwn had tnkcn steps in the matter. They would be quite satisfied with a 48 hour week, so that the whole week'c running would require the attention of one man onlv. In his rpport Mr. Bartley showed the charges for electric current at £336 fis Bd. That was an item that should not be utilised to condemn the scheme, as it was an item more of book-keeping than of expense. The qfornge batteries could be charged at slack time* at a very low cost. Other Items of the same sort were traffic expenses and management SBO and housing ,£2O. No extra staffing would be required and some waving, taighit t& .made, on tho housing, that the .considered. however, that the expenses, it would be onlv right that the ratepayers should stand their share. Many considered, however, that the svstem would not show a loss even with *hc heavy charges included. There was another view. On special days tho bu» could be utilised for the conveyance <pf people to and from, such functions as the A. and P. Show, races, picnics, etc. hi Westown there were a good many inducements to take townspeople out $o that suburb. The district was going ahead in spile of the lack of facilities several houses having lately been buift and others were being erected. There was no doubt that the district was » progressive one, and would go ahead stijl more if a service was instituted. They would be satisfied with a service th»t would serve both Westown and Vogeltown and could be run by one motorman.

Mr. P. E. Wilson, on behalf of the Vogeltown residents, said he wished to impress upon the council that the lotmer deputation did not ask for a servfae to Vogeltown alone. Apparently t|» engineer's report was based on ihWt miltaken idea. They wanted a service that could bo run by one man and could be so arranged as to pick up the «xt& Saturday night traffic. The deputation considered they were asking for a legitimate extension of the tram service, and they asked that the system be extended to parts not at present served, in thje cheapest possible manner. Even should there be a loss on the running of the bus during the first year or so, lie wafe sure the ratepayers concerned would tie ready to bear their snare of the lost. Since he had spoken on the occasion of the previous deputation he had heard <jf several instances of people who had r*» ; fused to complete purchases of properties in the suburbs because there were no means of communication. It* WW absolutely necessary that some means of communication should be provided between the town and the hill, otherwise New Plymouth would stand still. He hoped that if the council was unable to see its way to make a start with the system this year they would bear the matter steadily in mind, and make provision for it in next year's estimates. -If the ono bus broke down they would simply have to do without. He suggested that until the Morlcy Street tramcar was run up the hill, which was a matter of the future, the license might be kept by running, say one tram per hour up Morley. Street and let the bus carry town pasengers on that run. -The ratepayers did not want the council to go into any more expense than was necessary, and did not wish them to provide for cases of breakdown.

Cr. Collis pointed out that very often people would want to go to Westown and Vogeltown at the same hour, and someone would have to wait if only one bus were procured. Mr. Garcia said that in the past there had been only one bus for both services, and they would bo satisfied with that, arrangement again, There were not even good footpaths to walk on at the present time.

Mr. W. 11. Haddrell also spoke, mainly on the question of the time-table. The Mayor said he must take the word of the deputation that they did not want any more than they were at present asking for, but he susjlected that before long an extension of the timetable would be asked for. The bus was going to cost something and money was «t present difficult to obtain. He could •issuro the deputation that the council would give the matter very great consideration. He was in sympathy with tho ratepayers, but they had to remember the times they were living in. Thf I council would keep the question steadily in view, and would go into it thoroughly: I'd would ask the council to form a com-: mittco to go into all aspects of tht fatter and would be pleased to receive uny views and proposals in writing. The deputation thanked the council for their reception, and intimated that I committee would- be appointed to dra» up proposals.