LACK OF CONTROL OF CYCLISTS

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21746, 31 March 1936, Page 12

LACK OF CONTROL OF CYCLISTS

STRICTER CONDITIONS DESIRED A CHRISTCHURCH PROBLEM Special cycle tracks on main roads, registration of all bicycles, with P a y ment of a license fee, more stringent enforcement of present traffic regulations, and the provision of new regulations, and local, specially for cyclists, were among suggestion :or the better control of c y®hste magj by motorists and others yesterday, remarks were made in comme statement at the Magistrates Court vesterdav by Mr E. C. Levvey, S.M., that it was time was done about the control of, cycles as the court had very little say m the m organisations have discussed ifi'eans of controlling y more than once, but the problem easy to solve in Christchurch, Mr F. W. Freeman. “The first xequire ment would seem to be registration. How many Dicycles are there m Chris church—is it 40,000 or 60,000?. We really can’t know until they are licensed “The Christchurch City Council has considered licensing cyclists step towards better control of them, effect it decided that such an undertaking would be too difficult, a would have to double its "present number of inspectors if it was to see tna every cyclist licensed his machine.

Practical Difficulties Mr Freeman thought that although registration was the ideal, it was not practical, as there would be tremendous expense about it. Even if bicycles were registered, they would not oe so easy to identify as motor-cars when offences were committed, because they could not very wejl carry such large number-plates; „„^-f "As the new Minister for Transport is planning to co-ordinate all forms of transport, he can hardy leave bicycles out of consideration, remarked another leading motorist. Joking apart, > however, something must be done. The trouble is that a general ruling for the whole of New Zealand would hardly apply, for the problem of the cyclist belongs particularly to Christehurch. We .need special local regulations here." . Licensing all bicycles, which had been discussed by motoring organisations, looked simple, but would in practice be very difficult to carry out. It was all very well to make every bicycle carry an identification number or plate. One of the immediate problems arising from this was that the plates would have to be changed every time a bicycle was sold, and some of them seemed to be sold every few weeks.

Regulations Not Observed

Cyclists might be made to keep »to special parts of the road, but that would be difficult to enforce. . Enforcement of new regulations meant more work for traffic control officers, and considering the number of bicycles in the city and tne number of breaches of regulations likely to occur, the achievement of this end meant that there would have to be a great increase in the traffic staff. This would cost money. "The trouble is that cyclists do not observe regulations—either general traffic regulations or tramway regulations," said Mr H.E. Jarman, general manager for the Christchurch Tramway Board. "They ride past stationary trams among alighting and intending passengers, they go against traffic signals, and they hang on to the back of one-man trams. "If they are riding more than two abreast they do not keep to the proper side of the road,,so that motorists have to go wide to get past them. In addition, they are one of the chief causes of motorists being held back by tram-cars at heavy traffic periods,, and through this they influence motorists to break regulations and pass tramcars on the outside.". Mr Jarman thought, as a random suggestion, that one means of better control might be the provision of a proper pathway on which cyclists had to travel. This would prevent them from getting all over the road. The great number of bicycles in Christchurch almost justified the provision of special cycle paths, although only the payment of a license fee by all cyclists could make such an undertaking possible. Council's Plans Official quarters are fully alive to the need for improved methods of controlling all forms of traffic, and according to a statement by Cr. T. Milliken, chairman of the traffic and by-laws committee of the Christchurch City Council, several important matters are now receiving attention. "It has been clear that the tightening up of the regulations in all forms of traffic has been necessary for some time," said Cr. Milliken. "The council has endeavoured by appeals to the public to obtain stricter observance of the traffic by-laws, but little good has resulted from these appeals. I am forced to the opinion that it is only by taking stronger measures that the lesson can be brought home to all motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians, that the traffic regulations are dessigned for the benefit of all and must be obeyed. "Apart frora the ordinary work of the department, special drives have been made by the traffic department for speeding motorists and cyclists without lights, .red reflectors, and white mudguards. The old type of red reflector is of little or no value, and new by-laws mere passed some months ago making it necessary for cyclists to have an efficient red reflector of a type approved by the council. "Up to the present" continued Cr. Milliken, "the council's inspectors have been so fully occupied during the day that it has not been possible to provide sufficient patrols for night work. This work is now receiving special attention. At present at an intersection controlled by one traffic officer it is difficult for the one officer to direct traffic and also to take the names of offenders. However, steps have been taken, to see that motorists and cyclists who fail to give the correct signals or fail to obey the traffic inspector's signals will be dealt with effectively. . "The traffic' committee has now under considerate. the difficulty caused by bicycles being strewn over footpaths outside places of amusement and also outside the larger shops and warehouses."