Cars in Kaiapoi driven too fast

Press, 13 March 1985, Page 18

Cars in Kaiapoi driven too fast

Most cars travelling through Kaiapoi exceed the speed limit, according to a Kaiapoi Borough Council survey. The highest speed recorded during the three-day survey in February was 90 km/h in a 50 km/h area.

The results of the survey were presented to the council’s works committee on Monday by the Town Clerk, Mr Rob McCabe. A microwave unit was set up in 20 places in the town. Almost 60 percent of the 1547 vehicles monitored travelled faster than 50 km/ h.

“The worst place for speeding traffic was Cass Street,” said Mr McCabe. Of the 344 vehicles that used Cass Street in a total of 2Vz hours on two days, 284 exceded the speed limit.

“It is even worse when you consider that school children are coming out the gate at the time when most vehicles are travelling too fast,” he said. Of all the cars surveyed, 676 travelled between 51 and 60 km/h and 233 travelled between 61 and 80 km/h. Only four vehicles exceeded 80 km/h in a 50 km/h area.

The Ministry of Transport said in its monthly report

that a microwave unit had been used extensively by its officers in Kaiapoi during February and that many speeding motorists had been caught. No figures were presented to the committee, but some councillors thought that as many motorists were stopped for speeding during the month as had been caught during the whole of last year Big vehicles

Most overweight vehicles or vehicles with wide loads will now be told to travel on the Northern Motorway, rather than pass through Kaiapoi. A letter to the committee

from the Ministry of Works and Development said a policy had been approved by the National Roads Board for the use of motorways by overweight and over-dimension loads.

The Borough Council has long complained about large vehicles having to travel through the middle of Kaiapoi because they are not permitted to use the motorway.

Some vehicles, traction engines in particular, would still have to travel through Kaiapoi but the number of overweight loads in the town would be “dramatically reduced" by the new policy, the letter said.

A report on heavy vehicle traffic in Kaiapoi was received by the committee. The report, by Gabites, Porter and Partners, planning engineers, was based on a survey done in February 1984.

The report said that any truck problem in the borough was small and that the number of trucks passing through the town without stopping was insignificant.

The council had asked for the report in 1983 when it considered passing a by-law prohibiting heavy vehicles from the borough except for picking up or delivering goods in the town. The firm said that any by-law controlling heavy vehicles would be inappropriate. Gift

A former councillor, Mr C.W.D. Hodgson, will give a large, central light fitting to the new Kaiapoi Public Library.

The Chairman of the council’s electricity committee, Cr Burt Empson, said that Mr Hodgson had intended to give a crystal chandelier anonymously to the library.

“A chandelier would not have fitted in with the con-

cept of the library,” said Cr Empson. Discussions had been held between Mr Hodgson, the council’s electrical engineer and the library architect. Another design of light fitting, costing a “four-figure sum," would be installed. Cr Empson said he had also persuaded Mr Hodgson to allow a plaque, recognising the gift, to oe put in the library. Impersonation Evidence of someone trying to impersonate Mr McCabe was presented to the reserves committee on Monday. The Post Office had returned a handwritten letter that had been sent to a Beswick Street resident warning against dumping dead fowls in the Kaiapoi River. It was signed "R.N. McCabe, K.B.C. Town Clerk”, but was not in his handwriting. The letter was headed “Kaiapoi Borough Buildings, Williams Street, Kaiapoi,” but was not on council stationery.

Mr McCabe said the letter was “a sick joke.” It had been sent to a Beswick Street address but the person it was addressed to did not live there. The letter was sent to the dead letter office of the Post Office.

The Mayor of Kaiapoi, Mr Howard Cumberland, said the letter had been put before the reserves committee so that councillors could see “what kind of people we have to put up with.” Recycling

Recyclable goods will be collected free from outside the gates of Kaiapoi residences on April 9, the Tuesday of Easter week. Mr Cumberland suggested the service as part of a “Clean up Kaiapoi Day.” Normal rubbish collections will also be made on the day.