| Show PARIS TRACTION CRISIS COMING of all abu great cities of europe london excepted the most belated in its conditions of surface transportation is paris the old fashioned buses still serve a large fraction of the public the tramways tram ways exhibit an astonishing diversity in power systems and management there Is therefore a conspicuous lack of unification in routes and operation and the fares are generally excessive as compared with european standards elsewhere nor is paris well served in the caf ter of sufficiency of accommodations the much quoted fact that no bu or tram Is allowed to carry more passengers than it has definite places for does not mean that there are ample places on the contrary the omnibus and tramway stations where passengers draw their numbers and await their turns are not only thronged thron ged with people during the busy hours but people are often compelled to wait from five to thirty minutes before they can be accommodated the new underground system still being extended and the penetration f lines entering the city from the suburbs especially afford some relief especially since the fares of both are less than those of the general omnibus co which controls the bus and tram lines operated exclusively within the walls the existence of loopo cabs however averaging perhaps 33 cents per trip shows how insufficiently paris is provided with popular means ot travel this situation is now approaching a crisis the fifty year monopoly franchise granted to the general omnibus company in expires five yeara hence the question is therefore what will paris do in the way of far sighted planning for meeting the transportation por tation needs of that time furthermore ther more in the thirty five year franchise granted in for the operation of the underground astern the city reserved the right to take over the of that system in 1910 tho object as officially stated was to insure the city the light at that time to take possession of all means of transportation por tation together the of things alius ripening is one of iry interest interest lies not alone in the possibility that the cuy may all facilities there is no assurance indeed that this method will be adopted it lies in the suggestion that some well knit and broadly comprehensive scheme more broadly comprehensive perhaps than has ever yet been adopted by any great city may be worked out by paris for local transportation against the ear 1910 the french capital has a unique opportunity in this direction to promote its future development and if it Is true to its reputation for prudence it will do the work of planning before not after that critical dato has |
