TRAFFIC IN THE SQUARE

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23349, 7 June 1941, Page 12

TRAFFIC IN THE SQUARE

. ♦ EXEMPTION FOR BUSES CITY COUNCIL MAY REVIEW POSITION The exemption from the gyratbry system in Cathedral square, which trams and buses are now given under the Christchurch City Council’s by-law is likely to be reviewed at an early meeting of the council. When the bylaw was adopted last year there was considerable opposition to the exemption, among those opposing it being the new Mayor (Mr E. H. Andrews) and the Deputy-Mayor (Cr. M. E. Lyons). The new council may consider a proposal to revoke the exemption given to diesel buses, some of which take a course which involves going against the flow of ordinary traffic for onequarter of the distance round the Square. The council’s traffic committee has not yet met, but the chairman (Cr. M. Kershaw) said yesterday that he had asked the Chief Traffic Inspector (Mr J. Bruorton) to bring before the committee anything regarded as necessary for the more efficient control of the city’s traffic, including he operation of the gyratory system. In previous reports to the council, Mr Bruorton has recommended that all traffic, including buses, should be made to conform to the gyratory system on the ground that to allow exceptions to the rule is dangerous. When a Road Safety Week was held in Christchurch in December, 1938, the controlling committee, without dissent, adopted a resolution calling on the Christchurch City Council to bring tramway vehicles within the scope of the gyratory scheme.