M.P. questions Mr Gair on Papanui traffic

Press, 22 October 1983, Page 5

M.P. questions Mr Gair on Papanui traffic

Parliamentary reporter

No plans existed to install traffic lights at the junction of Papanui Road and Blighs Road, said the Minister of Transport, Mr Gair, yesterday. Replying to questions by

Mr M. K. Moore (Lab., Papanui), Mr Gair said the installation of traffic lights would not alleviate the problem of traffic congestion on Papanui Road. Lights would reduce the junction’s efficiency, and probably worsen the junction’s good accident record, he said. Improvements precluded the need to put traffic lights at the junction of Main North Road and Sawyers Arms Road. At the junction of Sawyers Arms Road and Greers Road traffic volumes had decreased after improvements, he said.

Mr Moore also asked whether Mr Gair was aware of a controversy concerning a pedestrian crossing at the corner of Main North Road near Daniels Road. Mr Gair said research had been done since the crossing was removed earlier this year. It had concluded that delays to pedestrians were minimal, and that there were adequate gaps in the traffic for pedestrians to cross safely. The situation would be reviewed after a new block of pensioner flats nearby were occupied, he said.