LONDON'S PROBLEM.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXIII, Issue 8831, 6 May 1914, Page 8

LONDON'S PROBLEM.

TRAFFIC AND PEDESTRIANS

In the 1 last nine years accidents in the London streets have doubled, and it is; now a dangerous proceeding to cross the road. Statistics illustrative-of-the growth; and complexity of .London's traffic problem show that largely owing vto: the development of motor' vehicles;, • the road-borne traffic has /increased ;.-efi/orniously, yet practically nolMiig/has ■■ 1-i'eon done to provide new highways; or •'to .increase' the capacity of;:uiose available; ■■■ • - : ''■'■

During.tho last 10- years' the;number of passenger-journeys made by road .;within. 1 the- Metropolis has almost •doubled, and tho increase of population rand the growth''of trade have brought a corresponding increase in the use of the- streets. , ■ i.'' 7'" : *' ■

In spite cf all this additionaP/tfaFfic, the road system oi to-day,' .with the exception of local additions and improvements, is practically identical with that of a. century ago, more especially as regards the important main roads radiating out of London, and it is chiefly due to the introduction of the more rapid mechanically propelled vehicles that it, has been possible for all this increased traffic to pass ■'•■through the streets in the present condition. ;

But traffic... can '■ no longer pass unhindered, and the delay encountered is on the increase; as is also tlie monetary loss to the•'.commercial world, and ■ tho number of accidents to persons in thcs streets. From the census of traffic taken annually it has been found that at many points where congestion occurs there is a tendency for/it to become father more accentuated in oach succeeding year, more especially outside tlie central area, and. this disturbing situation mint, be faced and a remedy decided on and applied, if road traffic is to continue to hold the position it holds to-day. The following figures show • how travelling is growing in volume. In 1903 the locil railways carried 290,722,680 persons, while in 1912 this total had 'ncreased to 436,492,528. The tramway totals for these two years are respectively 394,356j000 and 797,487,000. Omnibuses, .287,386,000 against 551,622,000. Journeys : per head. 144.9 ngainst 243.9. >It is further assimTxl that approxi"iatply. 250,000,000 journeys were made in tho Tear on +he trunk railways within tho Metropolis. ■ . . - . ■ .■■

Increase of Accidents:

"Sinco- 190' i the;total number of street accidents lias practically doubled, while the ■ increase of population; has not ainouutod tcfi>4uito one-tenth, 1 and this yearly ra-tft'irf:increase ,which is out of all proportion to that of the population, is highly'disfeurbmg. Oil. the basis: of either' ar.qa<'o'r population, London compares iiiiiavoarabiy in this respect with other Ei.glif-;h =. cities, despite the"- fact that the police conwol of its traffic is admittedly tho best in the world. It/is suggested by the London Traffic Branch of the Board of Trade that in order that the matter may be more carefully watched, it is extremely advisable that -there should ;.be' compulsory powers whereby all street' accidents re.stilting in injury should, be" reported to 00c authority. 'In 1904 'there were killed and injured respectively in the Metropolitan Police area• 155! and 10,384 persons, compared with 537 aiid 20,166 hi 1912. In the City of London tho j'igaras for 1904 are 6 killedl and 10..

injured: and for 1912, 24 killed and 1534 injured. The total, therefore, of 11,967 accidents in 1904 had-increased by .1912 to 22.281. ■.

Suggested Remedies,

"In tho Mastthree years," the report states, ''the motor.-'has, on the whole, lias beo;;i 'responsible for more deaths than any. other class of vehicle, and the number of both deaths and injuries has increased oach year. That the increase has been lc,ss in proportion both to the number of omnibuses put on the streets, and to the yearly route and car mileage is satisfactory in a way. But even so, the death rate is still deplorably high. No satisfactory life-guard to compare wth that fitted- on the tram lines has yet been ' obtained, though the companies are still experimenting. The cycle causes more accidents per year than _ any other type. of. vehicle, but the, fatalities involved 11 re under i per cent, of tho total. Next comes the'fast-: moving horse-drawn vehicle, the injuries caused' yearly by whichl ■ 'remain fairly stationary. The*n the light motor-car, which, in common with the motor-bus and heavy motor-car, -shows' a steadily rising total of accidents."