Disorderly Parking

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25092, 25 January 1947, Page 6

Disorderly Parking

Some months ago the traffic department of the Christchurch City Council made a detailed survey of the present parking arrangements in the city, presumably with the intention of improving and reorganising the system. No indication has yet been given by the council as to what changes are considered necessary dr when they are likely to be put into effect. Some delay is not unreasonable, because it is understood that the committee’s plans provide for off-street parking within the city; and it will probably take time to arrange for the purchase or the lease of suitable areas. Recent news paragraphs have drawn attention to the increasing difficulty of the parking problem; but they have emphasised nbt so much the shortcomings of the present system and its administration as the abuse of it by the motorists themselves. Finding a parking place in the city is now an exasperating business, and occupation of parking space is fraught with danger to the vehicle and its paint. Too few motorists are conscientious in their observance of time limits and too many are utterly careless of other people’s property. The present time limits are difficult to enforce and enforcement is nearly always resented. Doubtless the problem will be eased if the City Council is able to provide off-street areas for those who want unlimited parking close to their places of business—a service which, of course, should be paid for; but only a conscious effort by the traffic authorities to educate the motoring public, and closer supervision, will put an end to indiscriminate mudguard-scraping and fender-bumping. Motorists can help by the exercise of common sense. Few motor-car

owners are so fortunate as those who recently “ imprisoned ” another car between their locked and firmlybraked vehicles. The driver of the middle car, according to the news paragraph, spent 20 minutes manoeuvring his vehicle in the six inches available to him in an effort to get his car Qut without damaging the others. If cars in tightly-packed parking spaces are to be left locked —and there is the very best reason for locking a parked car—the brakes should be applied so lightly that the car can be moved by any other driver who wants to get out. More important still, no driver should leave his car in such a position as to make it impossible for an adjacent vehicle to be moved without damaging contact. Most motorists who take pride in the appearance of their cars have learnt to eschew angle-parking lots. There seems to be a proportion of motorists incapable of entering an angle-parking area without hitting an adjacent vehicle. Others, of course, ask for trouble by leaving their vehicles at the wrong angle. Many a motorist has found his car so boxed in. an angle-parking area as to make it impossible to back out without damage to his own vehicle and to others. These are problems which are worthy of consideration by the city traffic authorities as part of their programme of reform. They will bear thinking about by every motorist who uses the city streets.