WAIMAIRI TO ORDER TRAFFIC LIGHTS

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29367, 21 November 1960, Page 19

WAIMAIRI TO ORDER TRAFFIC LIGHTS

The Waimairi County Council decided on Thursday evening to ’ order traffic lights immediately - for the Fendalton road-Clyde ’ road-Memorial avenue intersection, without waiting to inquire ' about a possible subsidy from the i National Roads Board. Immediate action to order lights , was urged by Cr. J. I. Colligan, ; who at the last meeting opposed : a motion by the county chairman i (Mr A. R. Blank) for an immedi- ■ ate investigation for the installa- . tion of lights at the corner. i Because of the cost of installing : lights—“£2soo is a lot of money” i —Cr. Colligan had favoured further investigation of the matter I by the council’s finance commit- • tee, with the installation of 15 miles an hour signs at the corner for a trial period. The finance committee’s recommendation, put before the council was to “rescind” the trial placing . of 15-miles-an-hour signs and make formal application to the National Roads Board for apIproval of the installation of

1 lights, at the same time asking , the Transport Department for its r support. s Cr. Colligan said he disagreed ' with the recommendation in that ■ the actual subsidy from the National Roads should be secondary. , “I think the council should install the lights.” he said. 5 Cr. Colligan said he would like to take the newspapers to task I for giving people the impression , the council had flatly turned the . lights down. Cr. H. J. Reynolds: Hear, hear. “That is not so. We did not turn ; the matter down,” said Cr. Colli- ’ gan. “We decided we would have • a discussion before we went into • the matter further. “It’s not fair for any newsl paper to put the wrong impres- ■ sion on the council’s work, and even put an editorial in, and give the people the impression we . turned the lights down,” said Cr. Colligan. “We didn’t turn them down. We only referred it to the finance committee for further discussion. His motion to order lights im-

a . s mediately was seconded by Cr. - W. T. Rice. “We’ll have the best price 1 taken for the best lights. There e will be no effort to spare money,” e Mr Blank said. Cr. Colligan's motion, when put, a was carried. A member of the e Fendalton School Committee, - which first urged the installation of lights, was present to hear the - decision.