Peak week for traffic

Press, 21 December 1976, Page 6

Peak week for traffic

Traffic congestion in centra) Christchurch is expected to reach new peaks this week: Continuing wet weather is forecast, and shoppers are crowding the streets. The Ministry of Transport’s chief city traffic officer in Christchurch (Mr I. W. McLachlan) describes this week’s traffic as “potentially one of the heaviest weeks we have ever seen.” The Ministry of Transport is offering a telephone service advising the state of both car-park and street parking. It is revised con-

stantly, according to advice from City Council car-park attendants and patrolling traffic officers.

The telephone number is 799-980. Mr McLachlan has issued a plea to motorists to make maximum use of off-street parking, and to avoid double parking, especially on one-way streets. These streets were designed to channel traffic through the city quickly, and the problem would spiral if they came clogged.

Peak parking was between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m.,

and again about 2 p.m. Shoppers could help ease congestion by spreading their visits over other hours of the day, he said. He suggested that people might find it easier to use public transport, because they could not expect to park close to their destinations. Mr McLachlan also asked motorists to show other drivers “a bit of tolerance, especially in wet weather.” Schoolchildren were now’ on holiday, he said, and a marked increase in pedestrians and cyclists W’as expected.