West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954), Saturday 17 May 1952, page 4


BUSES REPLACING TRAMS AT PORT From tomorrow week the only trams running in High-street. Fremantle, will be those on the Bicton-Palmyra (East Fremantle) route.

The manager of the Fremantle Tramways Board (Mr. C. W. Jerrat) announced yesterday that the board intended closing down the High-street carbarn from Sunday week. "This is part of the board's policy of changing over from trams to buses,." said Mr. Jer-rat. The change-over would mean the retrenchment of about 15 employees. The decision to close down the carbarn had been prompted by "economic reasons and the impossibility of re-laying the Marmion-street track, now worn out. " The decision has been approv-ed by the Transport Board. New Service Mr. Jerrat said that the board planned to change the Mar-mion-street tramway service to buses and to extend the Bea-consfield and South-road bus routes to provide a service via Paget-street, Nicholas-crescent, and Thornett-street, to South street, Hilton Park, and via Stockdale-road to Willagee Park. The existing Sunday service, via High-street, to the cemetery and Hilton Park east would be discontinued. A loop service would operate off the Marmion route via Wil-kinson-street, High-street, and Carrington-street, to provide transport to the cemetery. The service to Hilton Park east would be provided by buses operatiing through White Gum Valley . The city terminus for the Mar-mion, Beaconsfield and South road routes would be adjacent to the St. John Church ground on the north side of High-street. The Point Walter loop of the Melville route would be altered to Point Walter-road through the grounds of the immigration hostel, Burke-drive, Moreing, Davis and Money roads. A more frequent service would operate on the Beaconsfield and Marmion routes during the peak periods of Monday and Saturday. Congestion Mr. Jerrat, who said that the removal of trams on the Mar-mion-street-route would pro-bably greatly relieve traffic con-gestion in the city block, added that the board also intended making minor alterations to the timetables for the Melville and North Fremantle services. The secretary of the Perth and Fremantle Tramways Union (Mr. J. C. Pereira) said last night that members of his union intended discussing the pro-posed retrenchments of union members at a meeting at the Fremantle Trades Hall tomor-row morning.