Gyratory Traffic System

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23349, 7 June 1941, Page 8

Gyratory Traffic System

It is apparently likely that the traffic committee of the newly-elected City Council will reconsider the decision of the previous council to allow passenger buses to run against the gyratory traffic system in the Square. That is hopeful; it will be still more hopeful if the new council will also investigate the possibility of requiring to conform to the system. There is little reason to doubt that it was only the influence of Tramway Board members on the previous City Council that persuaded the council to allow the buses to run the contrary way. Now that domination of the council by members of the Tramway Board can no longer operate, the council has an opportunity to consider impartially the whole question of tramway traffic and conformation to ..council traffic rules. While the present chaotic condition of traffic continues in the Square serious danger exists of tragic accidents, which could be due to no fault of motor drivers. The wonder is that no accident has yet taken place for this reason, though undoubtedly many have been narrowly averted. At certain times of the day and night when .the Square is crowded with criss-crossing pedestrians and cyclists the motorist has to be extremely alert to avoid running them down. While his attention is thus distracted, it must be very easy for him to forget that all traffic is not proceeding in the same direction an<ji come into head-on collision with an approaching tram or bus. This danger is accentuated on wet Friday nights, especially at the times when peoplp are proceeding to or from entertainments. The buses, being more mobile, are, of course, a more serious menace to other traffic than trams, but there seems no good reason, apart from the expense of the undertaking, why trams as well should not obey the safety rules laid down for traffic generally. And expense is a minor consideration where the safety of human life is involved," Both the Mayor and the Deputy-Mayor voted against the last council’s decision, which was also opposed to the report of the Chief Traffic Inspector (Mr Bruorton), who is the council’s traffic expert. The whole lay-out of tram tracks in the Square and in other dangerous localities is in need of complete investigation. It is-' to be hoped that the new council will consider it a matter of urgency and that it will have the co-operation instead of the opposition of the new Tramway Board .in promoting ameliorative measures.