BITUMEN ROADS.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20244, 23 May 1931, Page 14

BITUMEN ROADS.

—« PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC. WISHES OF MOTORISTS. [THE PRESS Special Service.] WELLINGTON, May 22. The difficulty in' perceiving pedestrians at night owing to the bituminising of roads was one of the reasons advanced by Dr. Gibbs (Nelson) in moving at the motorists' conference that tho Government be asked for legislation making it compulsory for pedestrians to keep to the right when walking on roads where there are no footpaths. Mr F. W. Johnston (Canterbruy) said I ho thought the Government should be urged to make rural local bodies keep tho footpaths in better repair. As footpaths were now, women could not push perambulators on them, and took to the bitumen, where they were not only a danger to themselves, but to everybody else.

Mr A. Grayson (Auckland) said lie thought the law should be amended to prevent people from walking on roads except where there were no footpaths. Where there were no sidewalks pedestrians should be encouraged to keep to the right-hand side of tho road. Some responsibility should bo thrown on pedestrians to keep to the footpathß. The secretary (Mr W. G. Walkley) said tho motor unions had approached the Commissioner for Transport (Mr J. T. Hunter) on the question of righthand pedestrian road traffic, but had only been promised consideration. Mr Hunter did not seeni to be impressed with their arguments. •"/■ Mr B. J. Haid (Invercargill) said _in Iris district there was a road on which 90 per cent, of the pedestrian traffic was done on tho bitumen, though there wero footpaths on each sido of it. Dr. Gibbs said ho thought tlie principle of pedestrians keeping to the right-might well be universally enforced in cities as well so that everyone would become used to it. Mr Johnston said he would like to see some restriction placed on pedestrians using bituminised roads. It was true pedestrians had a right to the road, but with present-day fast-moving traffic the old conditions no longer existed, and the law should grow with tho times. The bullock dray days were over. Dr. Gibbs's resolution was carried.