DAMAGE TO ROADS.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19463, 9 November 1928, Page 5

DAMAGE TO ROADS.

SERVICE 'BUSES BLAMED. "I would like to draw the Council's attention to the enormous amount of damage , being done to the Main Highway by the four service 'buses running daily between Christchurch and Dunedin and Christchurch and Timaru," said Councillor J. Bruce at the meeting of the Ashburton Couifty Council last week. He instanced the high rate of speed at which they travel stating that he had accelerated up to 40 miles per hour on one occasion when one was travelling in his direction, but it had passed him and had travelled two miles while he had covered half that distance. The County Engineer (Mr A. A. Foots) stated that he had tested the speed of one of the 'buses 'on the road through the Ashburton County, and it was travelling at over 50 miles per hour. Cr. Bruce further stated that the road between Christchurch and Ashburton was again in a disgraceful state and that was largely due to the excessive speed of motor-'buses. The County Engineer and Clerk (Mr G. Kelly) were deputed to prepare a report upon the amount of heavy traffic license fees collected in the Ashburton County and the manner in which they had been spent for submission to the conference to be held early in the New Year to consider that system of taxation, at the same time drawing the attention of the. conference to .the rate of speed at which the 'buses referred to by Mr Bruce travelled along the Main Highways.