The Greater Winnipeg Transit Commission today suggested that Metro government consider a rapid transit subway system for Greater Winnipeg, but agreed it would be premature to plan for immediate construction.

C. E. Joslyn, deputy chairman of the commission, said: "It is premature to develop a subway system now for Winnipeg, but it is not premature to discuss it and plan for it.

"We must get the people conditioned for this, although it could be 10 years before we put the spade in."

The deputy chairman was commenting on the annual report of the commission which revealed that operations from Nov. 1, 1959 to Oct. 29, 1960 had produced a deficit of $151,815 compared to a surplus of $248,348 in the previous year.

The Commission's report suggested to Metro — which takes over control of the transit system Jan. 1 — that the most immediate problem is to devise techniques of street traffic management designed to protect the transit users against the worst effects of street traffic congestion.

"In projecting a long-term plan to more effectively meet the transportation requirements of a growing metropolis, the commission recommends for careful consideration the possibilities inherent in rapid transit suggested in the report prepared for the commission by Norman D. Wilson," the report said.

In Mr. Wilson's report of March 4, 1959 he suggested there were two ways to improve traffic conditions — either by construction of expressways or rapid transit subways.

However, he submitted that the capacity of rapid transit subways was four to five times greater than that of an expressway. And where rapid transit lines brought only persons into the congested zones, expressways also brought cars, creating (a) greater increase in the demand for car parking areas.

"In the view of city planning considerations," he said, "a program of rapid transit subway construction is recommended."

The commission's general manager, D. I. MacDonald, said in his report that the decline in the number of passengers and consequently in revenues, was the most difficult and seemingly intractable problem facing transit.

"High wages and further employee fringe benefits, along with improved services to the transit users, are the principle factors contributing to increased operating costs," he said.