Transport Board Wanted To Editor of the "Nowm-Crua Dany News"
Sm—I am filled with great uneasiness because of the for shadowed "'working arrangement or form of merger" between bus and tramway services in the Settlement. When the annual report of the Internat Investment Trust was made public, it was Tevealed that a single finance company has majority stocks in the two transport companies and that closer union was imminent, On the surface it would seem that a single operating company oF close ce-ordination would "lead to greater efficiency, greater convenience to, the public and in working" to quote the Chairman of the Investment Company. It has frequently been done elsewhere, But the general dissatisfaction with both types of service which exist Shanghai and the complacence of the authorities in the face of possible dangers arising from overcrowding to which attention has frequently been drawn, make one dread a larger power in the hands of one Interest' in Shanghai. For, experience has shown that however carefully the franchise of a public utility company is drawn, once the vested interest is installed it Is particularly dificult to do anything about it, The monopoly is establish= ed and endures. True, questions of fares, routes, ele, seem to be submitted to the Council, but if there has been any debate in the Council Chamber about the public's "views
nown.
the services this has never been If there ts to be any ce-ordination of the transport services should it not be under a very directly, exercised public authority, say a Transport Board of the Council? A city of this size demands a close and consistent attention to transport at the hands of officials whose sole and only duty it is to concern themselves with the matter. The voluntary services of a Public Utilities Committee that is advisory to the Council have not succeeded in producing adequate transport system 30 Tt is assumed that so important a! matter as a "form of merger" of tramway and bus services would call for the revision of the franchises of both companies. T have not read the existing franchises, so not know what they contain, but surely there are safeguarding clauses which would prevent a merger without authority. 'The Companies all probability will seek om cial sanction, and the opportunity should not be' lost to attempt to obtain through the instrument which will emerge some drastic reform of the present situation. The moment would appear to be ripe for the appoint ment of officials with definite responsibility for seeing that the terms of the franchises are carried out in full.
Transport matters do not begin with these two service the future to be considered, and a possible city railway. When the—newly appointed 'Rickshaw 'Boaf@ has done its original task, the question of administration in con-Hinulty becomes important. Further, '4 Transport Board could consider the conditions under which public hire car companies carry on' their business, and whether public safety fon the' streets is assisted by permitting vehicles holding Council Iiconces to be driven by men who
tinuous day on call and who are on con-duty for ridiculously Wo, who use hire cars, it will be more dim cult for a department of the S.M.C, to pull wool' over the eyes of the ratepayers; Instead, the public now wants. action!' If through the supervision of the franchises, the Council cannot induce the bus and tramway companies to offer better service, then Public dissatisfaction" with' the Council and with the Transport Companies will increase and increase and increase!
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.