RIGHT-OF-WAY FOR CYCLISTS

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21118, 20 March 1934, Page 10

RIGHT-OF-WAY FOR CYCLISTS

♦ PROPOSED BY-LAW CRITICISED | CO.MrKKHENSIVi; UK(;l LAHON ! sk;c;e<tkd | The proposal that, a by-law should Ibe enacted making it compulsory i for motorists to give way to cyclists i oa their right at intersections was I adversely criticised at a meeing of | the general council of the Cantcr- ! bury Automobile Association last i evening. The chairman (Mr JJ. i Twyneham) expressed the opinion that such a by-law would result in ' a considerable slowing up 01. traflic. The council had bet'ore it a suggestion for a comprehensive by-law ior all trailic at intersections, excepting traffic on rails, which would make it compulsory for cyclists to give way at intersections. It was suggested by Mr Twyneham that the cyclists would not observe the bylaw if if was passed. The council had before it a letter from the Christchurch City Council, advising that the by-laws committee was considering a proposal to tranie a by-law as suggested. Mr f\ W. Johnston, in a report on the proposal, said that what was needed was a general comprehensive regulation, that all vehicles of every description at intersections should give way to all vehicles of every description on their right. Ties commendable idea was embodied in the new motor regulations published in the New Zealand Gazette. .ILK! 3, Mr Johnston said. The new regulation 11. clause Ki. provided that cvery driwr of a vehicle (omitting tiiej word "motor" before- vehicle), when! appioachmg an intern clion should' give way. us set out under the old regulation. Amendment Needed j li the present regulation 11, clause j IH, was amended on Ihe lines en which lie thought it would be, there j would be no necessity whatever ;Vr | the City Coin lei 1 to go to the e.\- I pense of passing a by-law w inch | would be unnecessary. Mr John- i ston emphasised that until the law i was so amended as to give lnej Governor-General-in-Council power j (.under the direction of thi o Transport Department) to make' regulations governing all traffic, the City Council might i well pass a by-Jaw decreeingj that all vehicular traflic other tl.au) motor-ears should give the nght-ot-way to all other vehicular Irallie un| its right at intersections, and should i also give right-of-way on its iefi toj ali vehicles running on rails. | The regulations seemed to be that a 10-ton truck would have to give way to a woman with a perambulator on the right, said Mr Twyne- i ham. If the woman was on the left the driver would have to assume that she was going to give way to the right. At the present time the law was that if one was approaching a street corner and a cyclist was about to do so, one had to take due care and judge whether the cyclist was going to give u ay. (' was a big question whether the| council should be asked to make a by-law altering the present practice. For one thing, the by-law suggested was going to slow trailic up considerably. i Control for Cyclists | Mr G. Tench said he thought that ) the council ought to oppose the sug- [ gestion to make it compulsory to, give way to cyclists, unless cyclists were also to be controlled. He d:d not think the proposed by-law would slow down trailic to any great extent. Probably the time v ouid come when it would have to be considered whether all cross tnifVx I would not have to stop until traflic j on main roads had passed. i "One effect of the alteration would j be that every driver would be in J doubt about whether the cyclist was going to exercise his right to pass over the intersection. Cyclists cannot pull up as a motorist can," added ; Mr Twyneham. "We know how mo- j bile these bicycles are, and that when travelling at safe speeds they I can be manoeuvred to dodge danger. If the by-law was passed we would have to stop in all such cases. Another point is that the cyclists will not take any notice of the if it is passed. That is a certainty. ' The matter was referred to the by-laws committee of the association. HOI'SK DHSTHOYEI) FIKK irrr.<s utoj ■! i". m.' i GISBOKXK. March 1!). j A f'.vo-ronied house at Motu. occupied by Constable l!a>km. who with Till-;; Da-kin had been absent* on leave fer sonic weeks, was cie-troyeU by ['t<\ Xothma \va; saved. The hou-e was owned by Mr E. Dcrecouri.