More passengers than ever to transport, no additional equipment obtainable to do the job, difficulty in securing repair parts to keep present equipment operating and a shortage of manpower to maintain and operate equipment, featured the job Winnipeg street railway, including suburban operation was called upon to do in 1943.

Although the year has not ended as this is written, there is ample evidence available to predict that more than 80,000,000 passengers will have been carried during the year.

For the 11 months of the year ending Nov. 30, passengers carried totaled 72,600,000 as compared with 59,500,000 for the same period in 1942 — an increase of 22 percent. During the summer months the increased traffic was cared for without difficulty, since many people who use streetcars and buses during the winter months do not require transportation during the summer months, preferring to walk, use bicycles or their private automobiles.

It was realized, however, that if the increase in traffic persisted throughout the winter months, there would be a shortage of transportation during the evening peak period, between 5 and 6 p.m. Plans to meet this increase were laid early and two methods seemed to present themselves as the only ones by which this increase could be cared for. The first and obvious method was to purchase additional equipment which could be operated in the peak period during the winter months.

Steps were taken early in the year to secure additional equipment but with no success. The material and manpower which ordinarily go to bus production were employed during 1943 producing war materials and government authorities justifiably contended that existing equipment was sufficient to carry the traffic if people would stagger their times of leaving work so as not to create a shortage of transportation between 5 and 6 p.m.

Some new equipment had been obtained early in 1943, when five motor buses and five trolley buses, ordered in 1942, joined our bus fleet. This meant that our total fleet of 215 streetcars, 159 motor buses and 22 trolley buses constituted little more equipment than was available in the winter of 1942-43, while it was apparent that 20 percent more passengers would be dependent on this equipment for transportation.

The anticipated shortage of transportation between 5 and 6 p.m. was, therefore, referred to the Advisory Traffic Commission, since the Transit Controller had appointed this body to study and report on transportation in Winnipeg and to initiate such public action as should be necessary to ensure that adequate transportation would be available.

The Advisory Traffic Commission, which body had considerable success in relieving a shortage of transportation during traffic peaks in 1942, realized that their efforts in this direction, staggering of working hours, would have to be stepped up and intensified. This was done and the public was made aware of the situation and the necessity of co-operation if there was not to be a shortage of transportation between 5 and 6 p.m. during the winter months.

Just how much additional co-operation will be necessary during the winter of 1943-44 is not known, since the heaviest traffic days of the year occur during January and February and further action will have to be taken to relieve the situation should it become acute.

Some difficulty was experienced in obtaining material and parts to keep present equipment operating at maximum efficiency. This was caused through shortages of critical materials and, in the case of parts for vehicles, through the inability of the manufacturers, under regulations, to manufacture in sufficient volume. Toward the end of the year, however, this situation was alleviated somewhat by the allocation of a higher priority to parts and materials required for the maintenance of transit vehicles.

A serious shortage of manpower to operate and maintain equipment became apparent early in the year and plans were laid and carried out in an endeavour to ensure that a large enough staff would be available to meet demands. A sufficient number of men of the required standard could not be procured and it was decided that women would be employed to replace men when suitable men were not available.

This policy has been continued throughout the year and, while there is no doubt that employing woman has been extremely helpful in meeting the demands, it was found that competent women to operate street cars, whose circumstances permitted them to take war work, were also in short supply.

Training the men and women employed to replace men lost to the services, through resignation and other causes, required a revision and extension of training plans, and some additions and alterations to car house facilities.

At present a total of 25 women are replacing men operating street cars, while 29 women are doing jobs in the Maintenance departments, formerly done by men. In general, the women have taken hold admirably and are doing a good job. While they still have the severe weather to contend with and final judgement on their performance cannot be passed until a full year's experience has been had, management and men alike have been glad to welcome the ladies to transportation work and are pleased with the good job they are doing.