SURVEY OF TRAFFIC

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29008, 24 September 1959, Page 14

SURVEY OF TRAFFIC

First Part Of Operation

Hundreds of motorists were stopped on roads leading into Christchurch from the south and south-west yesterday, the Christchurch Regional Planning Authority’s first step in conducting a transport survey. “Operation Traveller,” as it is officially known, will be conducted by the authority over the next month. The motorists were asked where they had come from, where they were going and the purpose of their journey. This information was noted and will be transferred to punched cards for analysis. It will later provide the basis for a master transport scheme for metropolitan Christchurch. Yesterday’s interview stations were set up in Halswell, Halswell Junction, Springs, Yaldhurst and Sparks roads. They were manned in most cases by a Transport Department officer, who stopped the cars, and Army staff in civilian clothes who interviewed the drivers. Interviewers found that drivers were co-operative. ‘‘ln fact, we are often held up by drivers who wanted to tell us too much,” said one interviewer. Farmers For Sales

At Yaldhurst road it was found that many motorists were farmers going to and from the Addington stock sale.

In the morning and again In the afternoon an inspection and tea round was made by the Transport Department District Officer (Mr D. L. Hogan) and the senior clerk (Mr D. L. Lynn). They were welcotned by workers who had spent the morning in a fresh breeze and the afternoon in bright sunshine.

During the next two weeks interview stations will be set up on other roads about the same distance from Christchurch, forming a cordon around the city. Later, an internal cordon traffic count will take place at 27 stations set up around the city centre, and questionnaires will be sent to 3000 households. Other phases of the operation will be a parking survey, a bus passenger count, and a trade vehicle movement and taxi and train passenger survey