RAILWAY CROSSINGS.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 126, 28 May 1919, Page 4

RAILWAY CROSSINGS.

I Two more accidents at railway crossi ings are reported. The one at Bunny-, thorpe, near Palmerston North, had shocking results, and seeing that in the Kaiapoi collision a motor bus was involved, the results there might have been even more tragic. But such accidents surprise no one who has observed the number of dangerous railway crossings about the country. There arc far too many of these places, and it is discreditable to tho Railway Department that more has not been done to make them less dangerous. We are aware that the Department decided to put alarm bells at the more dangerous crossings, I and that the war has interfered with the work, but this does not wholly relieve the Department of responsibility, for these crossings should have been attended to years ago. If the railways were the property of a private company, the State long ago would have compelled the company to make its crossings safe. Unfortunately it is one «of the things that has to lie set against the advan tages of State ownership, that a Depart- ' ment is tempted to he a law unto itself lin such matters, and to do things which ' public opinion would not tolerate in a ' private concern. We hope that these latest accidents will show the Depart- ' ment the necessity of providing alarms for crossings as quickly as possible, and i taking all other possible measures to 1 make these places safer.