Preserving Canberra's transport history

Canberra, Tuesday.—A two-man inquiry into Canberra’s bus system has recommended the introduction of one-man buses to ease present heavy losses. The report has been sent to the Minister for the Interior, Mr. W. S. Kent Hughes, whose department runs Canberra buses. The report also discusses economies in the ministerial and special car pools run by the department. ECONOMICAL The report says there are sixty-five 39-passenger buses now operating in Canberra. It says 47 would be Read more…

A new omnibus time table embracing the Canberra City area will operate as from Monday. Features of the new service will be the introduction of shopping buses, speedier transport from the north to the south side of the river and improved services to outlying suburbs. The introduction of the new service has come as the result of representations by public bodies over a long period A route traversing Commonwealth Bridge has been introduced. Three additional Read more…

Commenting on a statement made at the Industrial Board, that there was no comparison between the work of Sydney and Canberra omnibus drivers and conductors, the Federal Vice-President of the Transport Workers Union (Mr. M. F. Macdon- ald) said that conditions for crews in Canberra, during peak hours, were amongst the worst in Australia. Buses were dangerously overcrowded at peak hours. Conductors had sometimes complained that wo- men became distraught and cried under the strain Read more…

“I have been living in Canberra six months now, after some years in Sydney, and as I average between 30 and 40 miles each day on buses here, I feel I can say a few words in defence of our transport personnel.”

Canberra: February 22 (1940) A 40-passenger bus powered by a producer gas unit will be tried out in Canberra by the Department of the Interior shortly. It will be the first bus in Australia so eqiopped. The producer unit, costing £255, will arrive from England shortly. If the experiment is successful all petrol-driven buses in Canberra will be converted to charcoal burners. A motor truck equipped by the De- partment with a producer gas unit Read more…

DEFECTIVE BRAKES Bus runs Over Girl. Coroner’s Comment – Greater Care Needed Canberra, August 29. After an eleven-year-old schoolgirl, Rao Joyce Holden, had been run over and killed by a Government-owned bus in the grounds of Telopea Park school at Canberra on Friday last, mechanical tests showed that the foot brake of the bus was out of adjustment, and was use- less. At the Inquest, which was held to- day, the Coroner (Mr. J. W. Read more…

At the Queanbeyan Court yesterday Mr J W T Forrest, PM, imposed a fine of 2/6 on Mrs Helen Barton, motor omnibus proprietress, of Northbourne Avenue Canberra , on a charge of not having run her motor omnibus service in accordance with the terms of her licence. The charge was laid under Section 39 of the Motor Traffic Ordinance. The Crown contended that the fare of 1/- from Ainslie to Molonglo as provided for in Read more…

Efforts aro being made by the Federal Capital Commission to overcome the transport difficulty at Canberra. At present a motor bus service between Ainslie and Molonglo, to meet tho needs ot the commission’s own employees, ls conducted by the commission, but this ls not expected to cater tor those people who have occasion to travel to and from other parts of the city, or who cannot walt for ‘buses running only at Infrequent Intervals. In Read more…

FATAL MOTOR SMASH – Bus Completely Wrecked. One killed, four injured. Tragic end to Picnic ride.   Three motor accidents occurred on the Uriarra Road between Canberra and Queanbeyan on Sunday last. One woman was killed and four occupants of a bus were injured when on Sunday afternoon the vehicle left the road, and turning a somersault, was completely wrecked. One motorist drove his car off the road to avoid collision with the bus, and Read more…