PAGE 18, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1979, WHITBY FREE PRESS Ruth gives her view on Whitby's most topical issue..... About the bus system that nobody wants CONT'D FROM PG. 13 Readers of the "Globe and Mail" may have seen the ar- ticle by John Clarke on Saturday, "A- Transit System Nobody Wants" lHe was referring to Vancouver. So there it is in a nutshell, bus systems are losers and most likely all over the world. I don't mean we should not have our own transportation ever but that we may have to unit until we can afford it. Another thought, could we get eight hundred riders a day, every day? I wish they could line up - and be counted. There has been a very comprehensive study done and published I think i the "Atlantic Monthly". Large cities need bus systems, in fact they are a complete necessity. Two per cent of the population of a large city in the States are carried by bus, less in Canada. Public transportation is not the answer to conserving energy, it is efficiency poor and has become a sacred cow just doesn't add up when it comes to load factor. Bus service is a social fuction; to~ser- 2 -4p.m. vice the too old, the too poor and the too young. We are not a high density city. Rather than encourage public transit manufacturers of cars should produce energy saving cars. Anything in this line is simple and possible. I mean simple as we do not need the icing on the cake. It is, very easy to live without it. It never ceases to amaze me that we can send nen and machines to the moon and beyond but when needed a car revamp because a monumental task which is ail but im- possible unless money is no object. I'm sure for a price anything could be done. Increase in the price of gas moves a few people to public transportation but very few. In Europe'where gas costs from $2 to $3 a gallon, people are not moving to public tran- sit but are buying more cars. So we are led to believe that gas and oil may be in short supply and the merry-go-round goes around and around. When will we ever learn. Ap- Scott Fenneil M.P. (Ontario) FENNELL MOBILE VISITS THE PICKERING WHITBY-AREA Monday November 12th - Tuesday November 13th Brooklin Brougham. Claremont 9 - 11 a.m. 11:30 - 1:30 p.m. _ u M Whitevale Green River Green vood Chamber annual meeting Nov. 14 The Whitby Chamber of Commerce will hold their annual meeting on Wed- nesday, November 14 at Le Chalet. Cocktails begin at 6:30 p.m. and the dinner at 7:30 p.m., the cost is $10 per per- son and may be obtained by calling the Chamber's office at 668-4506. The meeting will highlight the first 'Businessperson of the Year Award" as well as the election of officers for the coming year. The Chamber requests that anyonè wishing to at- tend notify them by Novem- ber 12. parently they can prove public transit is not energy ef- ficient and therefore not a contribution to the popular con- cept. There are many facts and figures on this aspect too but again for want of space you will have to look elsewhere. I too, have talked to many people about the need for buses and try to walk in their shoes for the moment. I understand this need and so does our mayor and others but what comes first? If we could have what we want and not put our town into the red I'd be all for it. I wonder, sometimes when people move into out of the way places and say they were told there would be buses who has milsead them? I would suggest before buying any type of property, commercial or residential that enquiries be made. The town is the place to go, rather the town hall; they have the ansers. There are reports on this issue which I'm sure could be obtained with all the information needed to cover the whole story. Why doesn't the Whitby Psychiatric Hospital have their own transportation? I think they might have had a bus of their own at one time. This is a provincial ministry and maybe this should be their responsibility, not a municipal one. A large van or a small bus might be quite adequate to carry staff at work times, patients and visitors at other times. Can a bus system solve the downtown core problem?- Hardly. Are many car drivers going to the core? If not why not? Iroquois Park certainly needs support which would be made easier if, the kids could hop on a bus. However, without one, parents will have to do whay they do even in Toronto, drive. Not all children can go by public transit and some familes with several children run a taxi service with their own cars. Skating rinks often seem to be off the beaten track due probably to their size so Whitby is not alone. There is an area in Whitby with a private road, wells and septic tanks. Well maintained and cared for this part of the town is an asset to Whitby. All the residents realied when they purchased their property that they would be without services for an indefinite time, likely a life time. So one gives up something to gain something else and in this case everyone seems to be quite content. No comparison, of course, to/or with the bus question just a little tale on the side. So it's a proven fact that all transit systems do not make money; they cause much to be lost and never do they break even. A proven fact that ail or most people will not give up their cars to ride on public transit and a proven fact that buses are not energy conservers. We need our Mayor but do we really need the bus right not? Ambulance cails The Whitby Ambulance Service responded to 80 cails for service for the week en- ding at rnidnight Monday. The service responded to 38 routine calls, to 25 stan- THE REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY DURHAM OF DURHAM NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING Take notice that a special Committee has been appointed by the Coucnil of the Regionai Municipality of Durham to carry out a study of the provisions of The Regional Municipality of Durham Act, 1973. Public meetings will be held in ail area municipalities within the Region to recelve public input. dby calls for other ambulan- ce services in Ajax and Oshawa. The service also heeded to 17 emergency calls but to no motor vehicle accidents., Ctizens and organizations are encouraged to submit wrItten and oral Committee outlining their concerns and giving recommendations legislation which will benefit the citizens of the Region of Durham. November 7, 1979 November 14,1979 November 21, 1979 presentations to the for changes in the Public meetings will be held at 7:30 p.m. Township of Scugog Council Chambers Port Perry Township of Uxbridge Council Chambers 20 Bascom Street, Uxbridge Town of Whltby Council Charnbers 575 Rossland Road East, Whitby J. A. PottIcary Committee Chirman- Commlttoe Chalrrnmn 'Y