Colombo St. Parking Ban Attacked By Meeting

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30156, 13 June 1963, Page 12

Colombo St. Parking Ban Attacked By Meeting

The City Council’s ban on parking in Colombo street between Oxford terrace and Moorhouse avenue was condemned by a meeting of about 120 businessmen and others yesterday. The ban applies between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. on each day from Monday to Thursday, and between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Fridays.

Among the alternatives proposed from the floor were: One-way traffic only in Colombo and Manchester streets—one north, one south. Parking on one side of Colombo street only. No right tunns. No U-turns. No double parking after 4 p.m. Fewer bus stops. Buses to go north only in Colombo street, south only in Manchester street. Provision of off-street parking nearby. An immediate start on multi - storeyed parking buildings. The main criticism of the council’s no-parking restriction was that it was begun on Monday with no provision for the traffic affected to park elsewhere. Speakers claimed that some small shopkeepers would be put out of business, and one businessman said he had lost £4O a day on the first two afternoons of the new regulation. Cr. T. D. Flint, chairman of the council’s traffic committee, attended the meeting. With him were Cr. M. B. Howard and Mr J F. Thomas, the Traffic Superintendent. Mr A. F. G. McGregor, who was elected chairman of the

meeting, announced that the City Council representatives were there as observers, and were not prepared to answer questions. Committee Elected The meeting elected a committee of 10 to put the meeting’s views to the City Council and urge it to adopt an alternative solution to the problem of traffic congestion in Colombo street. One who spoke against the ban as a citizen—“even one who would benefit from the scheme”—was Mr H. Steel, owner of the Star and Garter Hotel at the corner of Barbadoes street and Oxford terrace. Mr Steel said the rights of citizens had been overlooked. It was a wholly negative scheme “like most of the traffic committee’s actions in the last two years.” “They’ve forgotten,” he said “that we elected them to do something constructive to make our city work. If I’d heard even a whisper of a six-storeyed parking building to be built with the hundreds of thousands of pounds we’ve fed into parking meters and paid in rates I'd feel they were doing something. Motorists will be forced off High street next—just to park somewhere else.” Cr. Flint replied before he

left that the council had £500.000 tied up at present in parking schemes, “so we’re moving on that.” Buses Blamed Other speakers blamed buses for holding up the flow of traffic down Colombo street, and claimed that bus drivers often waited in Colombo street if they were ahead of their time-tables, before entering the square. One speaker suggested that in return for the no-parking restriction the city council should have buses from North Beach and that side of the city rerouted through their stretch of Colombo street so that they could pick up more business from the passengers. He did not say how that would relieve traffic congestion. A businessman who said he bad checked the traffic flow before and after the new regulation began, said there appeared to be no difference at all. The council had therefore produced no immediate and obvious advantage. Retailers’ Association Mr N. M. West, secretary of the Canterbury-Westland Retailers’ Association, said the retailers were not prepared to be the chopping block to -solve the council’s parking problem in the meantime before off-street parking was provided. "I can assure everyone,” said Cr. Flint, “that it is not our intention to put the people of Colombo street out <4 business.” “That’s what you’re doing,” said ah interjector.

"If you’re prepared for a round-the-ta'ole hard business session. I'd be glad to attend with the traffic engineer and the traffic superintendent,” Cr Flint went bn.

The committee elected by the meeting comprises Messrs McGregor (chairman), D. R. Smith, West, E. J. Parry, P. A. Le Brun, R. S. McLeod, L. N. Short, C. D. Ogilvie, B. Turner, and R. T. Hornsby.