ROAD CONTROL

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 46, 24 February 1931, Page 8

ROAD CONTROL

RUSH TO .HAWKE'S BAY. HOW IT WAS STEADIED. TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT'S WORK (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) • WELLINGTON, Saturday. As soon as it became obvious that the rush of road transport into Hawke's Bay would prejudice relief operations, control was imposed, and with the strong backing of the Napier and Hastings organisations this has been stiffened up until no person may enter the devastated area unless he has very definite business, and can take in a food supply which will relieve the emergency organisation from the responsibility of feeding him.

Control of admissions into Hawke's Bay was at an early date after the earthquake vested wholly i'n the Department of Transport. The Minister in charge, the Hon. W. B. Taverner, described how the control system has worked. It has kept the inward traffic from Wellington by road down to 651 cars carrying 1342 persons to date, and only after passing the strictest cross-examination can individuals get permission to travel into the devastated areas. . .

"Thousands of applications for permits have had to be refused," states the Minister, "and the attitude of the disappointed applicants has been almost uniformly reasonable when the reasons have been explained. The Transport Department staff has dealt with all the requests sympathetically, and lias placed itself at the call of the public for 24 hours of the day. Road transport had first to be restricted in order to get food and other necessaries into £he area. Then the road had to be conserved for urgent ambulance traffic out of the district. The next urgent need was to keep the road clear for the refugee traffic until the railway started to operate. A cordon was drawn across the road at Dannevirkc, and no person permitted to pass northwards without a permit.

"Hundreds of applications to travel in to find relatives who might want to leave the district have had to he refused. Tliev are granted on definite indication that there are relatives wishing to come out. Under the difficult conditions of the first four or five days after the earthquake, hardly 20 per cent of the applications could be granted. "After the refugees had been evacuated, permits began to be required for those who wished to return on urgent business and to get clothing and property. There was a big rush of men who wished to get work, including tradesmen ready to take in their own vehicles and materials. These were all refused, and the local bodies of the district are particularly anxious that this class of traffic should be stopped. During the week there lias been a call for permits from business interests, and where it is proved that their presence will be a help and not a means of competition against the local traders, permits for a limited period have bem granted, with the strict stipulation that sufficient food for that period must be t ixl "