RULE FOR BOTH.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 141, 17 June 1938, Page 9

RULE FOR BOTH.

DRIVER AND WALKER. NEW BY-LAW SUGGESTED. CITY ENGINEER'S VIEWS. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) WKI.LINC.TON. thi- day. From the points of \ie\«, of -afetv and comfort of pedc»irians and drivers I alike, rules for the proper n-c of eiiy i streets must appl\ to both, mi id tin , city engineer, Mr. K. K. Luke. In Mr. I Luke's opinion, says the "Kvening l'o-t," i a by-law is necessary forbidding pedestiians from crossing the busier of the shopping streets in the city except at legalised crossings. Were such a rule brought in and carried out trtiflie (low would be safer and less impeded an<l pedestrian and motorist would know just where they stood. There was undoubtedly a. huh of understanding between pointsmen, drivere and pedestrians at intersections arising from the lack of recognition that pedestrian* had equal rights with motor vehicles at controlled crossings, but the fault lay largely with the pedestrian who persistently ignored the men on point duty, said Mr. Luke. New Zealand and Australia. Comparison had been made between traffic conditions in Wellington and in Australia. He himself had made .-luh comparisons, but it was to be remembered that there were considerable differences, a*, for instance, between Wellington and Brisbane. Brisbane was the most up-to-date city in Australia, in regard to trailic control, having universally adopted the latest system of light I control in the busier streets.

. 'TriiHic in Hrjsbane.'s main street [ (Queen Street) in much heavier than in , the main streets licit'," said .Mr. Luke. , "Far from this adding to tin* dilliciilties . of pedestrian contriil it in inn , jtarlii-uhii-and important respect makes for greater effectiveness. It is ;i psychological " effect. Pedestrians on Hiisbane streets ' collect in numbers, waiting for the change of lights, and other pedestrians coming up liehiiul them automatically pull up against those already • congregated at the corner. Thus they ' ure leinimled nil day ami every day that 1 they must wait iiir the lights. In ' Wellington the numl)er of pedestriitns crossing contro]]e<l intersections is, during -uany Ikjuis of the day, not hir-re, and it is the experience of the men uli traHu: duty that there better observance when the footpaths are crowded. That does not excuse imv failure In roiiItrol peili'otriuns udccjuutvly, and It. must be done for the safety of everyone oil the road. '•In the meantime citizens must learn that there is a legal obligation upon them to observe signals, cither at manually-controlled or light -coiit rolled intersections. If they do not take notice, then prosecutions will become necessary, with the assistance of the police to deal with those who refuse to co-operate and when questioned refuse to give their names."