TRAFFIC CONTROL.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 244, 15 October 1925, Page 9

TRAFFIC CONTROL.

• INSPECTORS ON MOTOR CYCLES. SPEEDSTERS WILL BE CHASED. CITY COUNCIL ADOPTS IDEA. 1 It is generally conceded that traffic c control in Auckland is the best in the f Dominion. That the traffic department ! '» I of the City Council is fully alivu Vj us \ 2 j responsibilities, and is determined to . I leave no stone unturned to bring the : a standard, of regulation up to its highest j t mark, can. be judged from the fact that, j 1 acting upon the advice of the Chief j 'i Traffic Inspector, Mr. Geo. Hogan, it has j i decided to obtain two motor cycles for 1 ■ the use of the traffic inspectors. These • " machines will probably be the nucleus j - of a motor cycle corps, along the lines of " those existing in other countries, prin--8 cipally America, where motor cycles are • used extensively by the special police in. charge of traffic control. At the present time the traffic depart--1 ment lias one cycle, which has a kennel 3 attach to it, and is used by the dog- • ranger for the conveyance of stray ani--3 mals to the pound. The contrivance c can be detached from the machine, and • the bicycle can be used for traflic purr poses. 7 The new machines will be of 10 h.p. 5 and 7 h.p. respectively. They are to be 1 used for general traffic work, which, will 3 include chasing speedsters, checking omnibus routes, inspection of drivers' ' licenses, and inquiry work. They will ' be delivered to the council in a few days. I The Method. 5 The method of detecting those motort ists who take upon themselves to ) break records and defy the regulations r will be as follows. The traffic inspector, . from his convenient position where he can see all, but cannot be seen, will t give chase on his machine after the cul--5 prit, over a measured distance, or fur- ; ther, if necessary. The driver will be 1 apprehended, advised of the speed at t, which he was travelling, and given warning that a prosecution will probably t fellow in due course. The great advanj tage in this method is that the depart- . ment can obtain the name of the driver . on the spot, and can get the fullest . information regarding the alleged ofi fence. In this manner will be obviated , the delay that must of necessity take . place at the present time when officers ; simply take the numbers of cars from the roadsides. As the system is arranged at present, the departmental inspectors are put to a considerable j amount of unnecessary work before J they can obtain the names of drivers I and other necessary information. \ Advantageous to Drivers. I The new system will also be advan--3 tageous to the drivers at fault, for they I will know immediately after their offence r that they may be prosecuted, and in i that manner will be able to collect their evidence, and make it their business to r remember details. Under the present » system, it is often some little time bel fore they are informed that prosecutions i are to take place, and by that time they . have often forgotten the occasion on i which they are alleged to have ; "speeded." i Another important aspect of the use j of the bicycles will be the good moral t effect the eystem will have upon those - motorists who are inclined to speed. t They will never know when a traffic J inspector may appear on his machine. It will make the drivers realise that : they have to be careful, and that they i cannot with impunity break the regulat tions and endanger the lives of fellow 1 citizens. When it is proven to the City Counr cil that good work can be done with motor cycles, that body will probably t consider the matter of securing more - machines and forming a corps. 5 In America the idea has been in exist- [ ence for many years. In Sydney about 25 machines are used in the metropolitan area, and the Melbourne department utilises about four cycles. The Auckland traffic department has noticed one peculiar feature about speeding. There are 19 traps in different parts of the city and suburbs. There are days when not a single case of speeding is reported, while on other days motorists appear to "go mad," and there is an epidemic of the complaint. The use of the new motor cycles, which '• will be in different districts at different times, will probably materially affect L the "mad days." As far as the inquiry work is concerned, it is quite easy to i realise the amount of time that will be saved. The traffic department, it is pointed i ! out, does not pander after prosecutions. 1 Its chief concern is seeing that the regulations, which are made with the idea of public safety, are observed, and that motorists learn to do the proper thing on the highways. f =====