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Taranaki Daily News, 1 November 1920, Page 4

RATLLESR TRAMS. In a ,recent report ■ submitted to the j Borough Council by the tramways engi- j neer (Mr. Bartley), every important! phase of the trackless tramway- sy.stem j was dealt with. There should, therefore, be no longer any misconception by ratepayers as to this system, ant its manifest advantages over the electric storage battery 'bus service, ft is probable that' any opposition which has been raised to the adoption of the trackless system for New Plymouth suburbs was due to ignorance of the facts relating to the cost and working of that system. This view is supported

ay the fact that the chief objection; made to railless trams by the chair' man of the recent meeting at Westown ivas that the Wellington city engineei had not recommended that system whilst (he Auckland city engineer "hat not seen" such a system, which goes tc show that New Plymouth has the ad vantage over both the cities mentionec in possessing an electrical engineer win lias made himself thoroughly acquaint el with the system, and has sufficien faith in its merits to recommend it adoption. But for the prohibitive cos of extending the present track systen there would have been no question of re sorting to railless trams, which, unde; the circumstances are the best availabli substitute in sight, and when the timi eoni6s to extend the track system, hot! the equipment and the cars themselve: can either be made use of in the per manent work or utilised for further ex tensions. With regard to the cost, al though the storage battery car v. cheaper by reason of there being m overhead cables, yet three tracklesi vehicles will do the work of five storage ears, will do inuch more work pel car, and be more expeditious. No time is lost daily in charging batteries, and the whole of the maintenance and clerical work of the trackless cars will be done at. the tramway depot, whereas if more battery vehicles are purchased it will be necessary to have a separate staff at the powk station. Owing to the elimination of the storage battery on the trackless cars *nd to the even listribution of weight, the tyres on these cars iiave a longer wearing capacity than those on the storage battery vehicles—calculated at 20,000 to 10100 miles—and this fact demonstrates hat the wear and tear of the road by :,he trackless cars is less than that caused )y the 'bus. From an economical )oint of view the trackless system is nuch superior. It gives a quicker and lierefore more frequent service, thus neaning a larger revenue earning capicity. At times of exceptional presure it can be used to help the track ysteni. There are vither advantages as egards comfort, ease and safety in ravelling, but enough has been said to atisfy all reasonable voters that they i-ould be perfectly justified in authorisng the loan for this new and efficient orviee, which, if inaugurated, would ertainly help the districts served thereiy lo progress in a way that will justify he institution of (he track system is ooi! as conditions permit. There is lolhing of an experimental nature about ,his trackless system; it is a proved iliccess.