Great Work by Railway Buses.

On the morning of the 16th 128 trips were run and 32 out of a total of 37 buses were on the road. Approximately 2,400 passengers were carried into the city before 9 a.m.

In order to cope with the traffic and avoid delays to the travelling public special efforts were made by the Workshops staff, and at 3 p.m. every bus in the fleet of 37 was available for the road.

By special arrangement three buses (25 seaters) were hired from the City Tramways, and one bus (25 seater) from Mr. C. Bentley, of Petone. These vehicles were used to augment our own fleet in coping with the traffic offering. In addition to this, six Departmental motor lorries were also page 8 seated in the shops with a total carrying capacity of 30 each, and these were used to convey the Workshops employees between Petone and Wellington.

The result was that forty-one buses were available to handle the peak loading at 4 p.m. on the 16th, and at 5.45 p.m. 158 trips had been run and approximately 3,000 passengers had been transported from Wellington to the Lower Hutt and intermediate areas.

There was practically no delay, and at 6 p.m. the omnibus stand was clear and all passengers had been carried to their homes.

On the morning of the 16th 182 trips were run, motor lorries were again engaged in this traffic, and, with the loading offering steadily from 6.30 a.m., 160 trips were run between the Hutt area and the city. Thus approximately 2,565 persons were carried into the city, and 562 from the city to the suburbs, before 9 a.m.

Single line working on the line was restored about 4 p.m. on the 17th and from that time onwards the loading on the bus service was reduced, and passengers were handled without the aid of the lorries.

It is noteworthy that the lorries were pressed into this service at very short notice. They were fitted up with the seats which are used in the “Z” luggage vans for race and holiday traffic.

The temporary dislocation of the train service certainly provided an example of what it is possible to do in order to improvise a road service at short notice.

The Workshops Manager at Petone advises that fifty lorries (to seat 30 each) could be fitted up in the shops in eight hours.