Quiet look at noisy trucks

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33601, 1 August 1974, Page 1

Quiet look at noisy trucks

Noise and smoke from heavy trucks will be the subject of a report likely to go before the Christchurch City Council this year. The report, partly the result of complaints from residents in such streets as Cranford Street. Hills Road, Opawa Road, and Papanui Road, will be prepared by the city engineer’s department, and the city health inspector’s department with the help of the Ministry of Transport. The council has no power ;to restrict heavy traffic to certain routes. All roads in ithe city are in

this respect. Any special primary roads for such traffic, such as any sort of ring route around the city, are at least 10 years away, by which time the problem is likely to be much worse. The subject has been raised by a Papanui Road correspondent who wrote complaining of the number of heavy vehicles causing annoyance by their smoke, fumes, and noise. The problem raised by the correspondent was not isolated, Mr B. D. Forbes replied, on behalf of the city engineer (Mr P. G. Scoular). Many complaints had been investigated by the city endepartment and the chief city health inspector, but little be done to

divert traffic from the routes in question. No other suitable roads existed, and the roads on which complaints arose were designated as main roads. “Some priority in funds is given" to these routes to enable them to carry heavy traffic in safety, and relieve quiet residential or back streets of the harmful effects of through traffic. “Any policy of diverting traffic from primary roads to back streets would probably be more unpopular than the present one,” Mr Forbes replied. He said the question was being investigated by the council.

“Part of the problem stems from the continujp

rise in the number of motor vehicles, and the difficulty of accommodating them on existing roads. “It is difficult to envisage how many of the heavy goods could be diverted to other means of transport, and with the growth of industry in Christchurch, it is almost inevitable that most of these goods will be carried by road transport,” Mr Forbes said. The Ministry of Transport said that traffic officers had the power to order vehicles off the road if they were emitting “excessive” noise, or "excessive” smoke or visible vapour. The problem seems to be that “excessive” iis not defined.