TRAFFIC IN THE STREETS

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 65, 10 December 1907, Page 5

TRAFFIC IN THE STREETS

IS IT SUFFICIENTLY REGULATED?" THE ERRING MOTORIST. ■ Peopio who walk about with their eyes open aro frequently impressed by the go-as-you-please charactor of tho traffic in the streets of Wellington. The rule of tho road is frequently ignored, and bicycles, motorcars, motor-bicycles—to say nothing of the horse-drawn vehicles of all kinds —arc often to bo seen" travelling'at speeds which seem to;,shov that tho persons in charge aro only concerned, about "getting there," and do not think much about risks to life and limb. . •Yet the police are amongst us, backed by statutory powers, .and thoro are the- city. . by-laws... These last, if they were fully, en forcod, would causo quite a revolution, i , ■■ the streots. . ■ ■ . • ■ SOME OF THE BY-LAWS. 'Hero is one. clause which seems comprehensive onough. for anything:— "Any person shall be guilty of —..s n _ .p!! 0 . 1 . 1 ™ who . . . furiously, negligently, wantonly, or "carelessly" ".""; rides any animal or 'drives any .■;.. vehicle in any strcot or publio place." ■ 'i : This is, perhaps, too vague to be easil* enforceable. " Furiously,' , "negligently,' "carelessly," and "wantonly" aro not da fined. So wo have this further provision:-" v "Any person'shall" bey guilty of ■ ■ an , offence who".. .: . any- .'.; vehicle or rides any horse 9r other )'" animal at other than a walking pace ■ ... round or across any corner, angle, or ',' : intersection of any of.tho.streets or .<■.-■ public thoroughfares." ... ■■•■ That such an edict as tho above is su{ posed to bo in forco will bo news to raanj peopio. Only yesterday afternoon the writei of- thoso lines stood at 'ihe corner of . Street and Lambton Quay. In five minutes by his watch he saw eight expresses, one gig, one cab, one empty hearse, two lorries, and ono motor-car driven past him at "other than a walking pace." Only a small minority of vehicle's went round or across the corner anglo, or < intersection," without' : breaking the by-law. There was a policeman standing on an adjacent kerbstono all the • time. It looked as if the police did not ' consider this particular by-law necessary, and cortainly the present writer did'not see, during his five minutes' observation, anymoving adventures or hair-breadth escapes.. There are also in tho by-law sundry clauses to forbid breaking-in horses in tho streets, , injuring the surface' , by driving with locked wheels, leaving horses unattended, riding of ' driving without having! proper control, and numerous other misdemeanours. For Cyclists. One clause which nobody takes much notice ot -declares that a cyclist, when overtaking a foot-passenger, "slia.ll, within a reasonable distance, from and belore passing such foot passeng6r, by sounding a.boll, givo audible and surtioieut warning of tne approach of tho bicycle." . Hero is another clause .which cyclists will, of course, bo very pleased: .to bo reminded or:— .-...•■ ' "No person shall ride a bicyclo on any Street, private" street, bLpublic place., at _ • ( u greater rate,than eight niilea an hour, nor round or across* aiiy corner, angle, or intersection of any street at more ' ■ • than four miles an hour." ' . The same speed limits apply, to motor bicycles, though .the riders oiten seom to l>o unaware of tho I'acfc., : '. ' : Most of these clauses aro taken from the ' Umsoliilated By-Law of 1898. I'liey aro iu v forco to-dayj-butra now consolidation of tho* whole riiass of , by-laws, with some amendments, is shortly to bo submitted' for 1 '?, tho approval of the Council. It can hardly' be supposed that what is.enacted at tho close ot X9UV will bo any less .stringent than what ;was thought necessary' Hourly-ten years ago. \np : municipal, authorities say that thoy cannot-keep an army of inspectors on tho •streets-to seo that tho traffic by-laws observed. It is for tho polico to regulate the traflic, either according to tho by-laws, or in conforniity. with.the Acts of. Parliament "in ■such caso made and provided.'. .

;What the Police Afe Doing. ; -J A 'reporter' "gathered that the police, are .doing tiieir best to enforce tho city traflic by'laws, and cases: are frequently brought before the Magistrate's Court: They also havo and uso powers under tho'Police Offonce3 Act, 1884, and its amending Acts, the Motor Regulation Act, and tho. Public Works Act. Ihey aro glad to have, as a help in the work of protecting tho public, enforceable by-laws suited, to the locality: and its special circumstances, and in a general way they regard the .-Wellington City by-laws as being of this class; though, m.some particulars, thoyseero .more suitable' for several years ago than ljpi. rho.y, hope, the new consolidated bylaws shortly to ue promulgated will bo mo-re' up-to-dato in many respects. ; : "THE RULE OF THE ROAD." , I, One thing that strikes the .police as .anomalous in the,by-laws is that all vehicles jlicensed to ply iorliire must keep along on itlio letfc liand side of the road, while other .vehicles,.though..bound to observe tho "rule of the road" in passing any other, vehicle, may otherwise travel along any part of tho thoroughfare. Obviously the police could regulate the traffic more effectively if all vehicles.were subject in this respect to the same regulation as those which are. licensed. ,lhey admit that the " rulo of the'road" is : iiot obeyed as well as it should he, but whenover an accident results from a breach of it ithey always bring a cn.sq against tho driver who ;was on the wrong side, even though he may have suffered otherwise in the way of bwlily. injury, or damage, to property, 'i'hey frequently bring cases against persons driving round corners or _ across the intersections :of the streets faster flian a walking pace. But it is not tho horsed vehicles that give most trouble to the police. ■ It used to ha tho bicycles; it is now the motor bicycles .and motor cars. Against the latter it is difficult to secure, a conviction, ; because •; neither :in the city by : k\v , nor in ■ the .Motor Regulation Act is any speed font expressly stated. The constable has to satisfy the. magistrate that, having regard to ail tho surrounding circumstances, the car was so driven as to cause grave danger to tho public. Tho polico contend that they aro on.doavouring to regulate the traflic as 'well as •it can ho done with tho limited and varying number of constables availahlo for duty in ' the streets. Tliero aro no men on " fixec" point duty" for the solo purposo of controlling tho traffic. *