TRUNK ROUTES MAINTENANCE

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28669, 20 August 1958, Page 14

TRUNK ROUTES MAINTENANCE

Responsibility In Towns (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, August 19. The National Roads Board will accept responsibility for the maintenance of that part of trunk routes in cities and boroughs which is used by moving traffic, said the Minister of Works and chairman of the board (Mr Watt) in the House of Representatives this afternoon. The Minister said that legislation would be brought down this session to define the board’s responsibility for maintenance of the carriageway. In effect, this would mean that cities. and boroughs would be responsible for maintaining that part of the roads used for parking. On occasions, for example in the vicinity of public halls close to trunk routes, the board might assist local authorities in the maintenance of space used for parking. Mr Watt was replying to Mr W. B. Tennent (Opposition, Palmerston North) who, in raising the question, referred to the revenue collected by some local authorities from parking meters on trunk routes.

Replying to another point raised by Mr Tennent, the Minister said that the definition of trunk routes throughout the country could have taken up to two years if every cjty and borough had been consulted on which of their streets should be classed as trunk routes. The board had made its own decisions and this had the great advantage of speed, he said. It was, however, open for any local authority to raise with the board the question of which streets should be named as trunk routes. In fact, alterations had been made in one or two cases after discussions with local authorities, Mr Watt said. The Minister was speaking to the vote on the estimates for the Public Works Account (roads).