Reply To Visitor’s Complaints Of Noisy Driving In Square

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31657, 18 April 1968, Page 6

Reply To Visitor’s Complaints Of Noisy Driving In Square

Complaints about deliberate noisy driving in Cathedral Square should be reported at once so that action could be taken, police and traffic authorities said yesterday.

A visitor to the city from Oamaru, signing herself Elaine Newton, has written to the editor of “The Press” describing events in the Square as seen from the hotel window during sleepless nights. Her letter follows. “Traffic noise has already reached menacing levels in crowded city streets. When this is unnecessarily and deliberately increased by young hot-rodders, penalties should be imposed as deterrents. “1 have recently occu-

x pied a hotel room which k overlooks The Press' buildv: ing and the east end of the 8 Cathedral. From 11 p.rn. on- >; wards till dawn the Square S was given over to youngsters g who used it as a speedway; IS round and round and round ■ they went, all without silencers, apparently, squealing tyres as they tried to take the curves closer and closer. g “In the right-angle below the | hotel window was a stoppingI place where cars were conj tinually arriving and pulling | out, each gunning its engine | and back-firing as it resumed | its rounds. Cars tore into and | from Worcester Street to use | the larger ‘circuits.’ Cars raced one another, some bearing the badge of many col-1

lisions. The first night two parked exactly on the zebra crossing of Worcester Street and the occupants had a fight, sometimes outside and sometimes inside the vehicles. The < second night there was a ' fashion for turning right j when emerging from Worces- i ter Street. “The third night there I was a motor-cycle crash —youths and girls from all ' directions converged upon the crash at the Cathedra] 3 kerb. This cyclist had already done the rounds literally ! scores of times through the « night. Strange to say, some t of thesg easily-recognisable jalopies were still on theii * treadmill quite late on the following mornings—appar- k ently with restored silencers J “As the pandemonium, un- 3 relenting all night, made it impossible to sleep, one could « only sit at the window and derive what one could from the spectacle. Are there not n laws to be invoked against ® these deliberate disturbers „ who literally take over the l city for the night? Any motorist legitimately cross- K ing the Square is in great 2, peril. i(

■ greasy refreshment papers ■ rose higher and higher. I feel ■ sorry for the city of Christ- ; church, of which I am a native, having to suffer these morons.” Regular Patrols Mr J. F. Thomas, the city traffic superintendent, said his department was fully conscious of the problem in the Square. Patrols were regularly stationed there and in closely associated streets. He said appropriate action was always taken by his department when motorists or motor-cyclists were detected contravening the regulations in the way complained of by the correspondent. Mr Thomas said the problem was predominant in the early hours of Saturday and Sunday mornings. Because of this, the department had extended the hours of the mobile patrol in the Square. Reports from officers on duty at those times indicated that it was only in isolated incidents that they detected drivers or riders actually contravening regulations and causing annoyance to other road users. | All motor-cycles were required to be fitted with effective silencers, and the traffic 'department would have no

compunction in taking action against motor-cyclists and motorists who caused undue noise. He said cars were not required to be fitted with silencers, but no vehicles were permitted to make undue noise. Police Will Act “If we get a complaint smartly at the time, we’ll act on it," said Chief Superintendent G. S. Austing, officer in charge of the Christchurch police district. He said traffic was the main problem in the Square. The city traffic department had that under control. The police had patrol cars on duty, and any disorderly behaviour was dealt with smartly. “They don’t make noises while the patrol car is around,” he added.

Mr Austing said a speed restriction of 10 m.p.h. had been suggested for the Square, but this suggestion had been rejected on the grounds that it would affect all motorists and not only those causing a nuisance. On the question of motorists and motor-cyclists disturbing the peace, be said the police had to be informed immediately of any such disturbance so that offenders could be apprehended. Otherwise nothing could -be done.