PEDESTRIAN CONTROL IN CITY

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 24028, 17 August 1943, Page 4

PEDESTRIAN CONTROL IN CITY

COMPLAINT CONSIDERED UNJUSTIFIED Criticism of the control of pedestrian traffic in Christchurch by a correspondent of “The Press” signing himself “Right Left” is regarded by the controlling authorities, the City Council Traffic Department and the police, as unjustified. The correspondent says that while the authorities have made a success of the control of vehicular traffic they have “utterly failed” in the regulation of pedestrians. He complains that they are allowed to wander about the footpath, frequently colliding with one another and do not appear to know whether they are required to walk to the right or to the left. When the complaint was referred to him, the 'Acting-Chief Traffic Inspector to the Christchurch City Council (Mr J. James) said that the Traffic Regulations, 1936, stipulate only that pedestrians keep to the footpath. The city by-laws, however, say that pedestrians shall keep to the left, or near, side. Mr James said the council’s traffic department had done a great deal of work in the education of pedestrians, and the by-law was well known and generally obeyed. At one time "Keep to the Left” standards were placed in the middle of city footpaths, but they proved a nuisance to maintain and sometimes even a danger. A centre line had been put down the footpath in front of the Cathedral, with arrows indicating the direction of pedestrian traffic flow. The Superintendent of Police (Mr T Shanahan) said that the police gave constant attention to the matter Only where pedestrian traffic was dense and where an obstruction was likely to be caused would .constables direct pedestrians to keep to the left.