SAFEGUARDING MOTORISTS

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 291, 4 September 1926, Page 8

SAFEGUARDING MOTORISTS

MARKED CROSSING PLACES SOUGHT THE THOUGHTLESS PEDESTRIAN MORE POINTSMEN REQUIRED For some years the pedestrian public has pleaded tor protection against motorists, who break the speed laws and the rules of the road. Vesterday saw a reversal ot the order, when a deputation representing the Wellington Automobile Club and the Wellington Motor Carriers waited on the by-laws committee of the City Council to voice grievances against the pedestrian public, and to ask the council to put its own bylaws into force for the protection of the motorist as well as the pedestrian public. Speaking on behalf of the Wellington Automobile Club, Mr. H.‘ Shortt pointed out the serious menace that existed in allowing pedestrians the freedom of the roads, and he advocated the council disciplining that freedom. The chairman (Mr. M. F. Luckie) intervened to remark that the subject was under consideration at the present time. Mr. Shortt, continuing, said that he wanted to point out the extremely dangerous state of things at the Lambton Quav station, one of the worst places in Wellington. There were from five to twenty-five buses usually parked there, besides the trams and the ordinary vehicular traffic, and to make matters worse, there was an electric light pole right in the middle of the fairway. There had been one fatal accident there this week, and he thought that if something more was not done immediately there would be further serious accidents at that point. He suggested that some re lief should be given by the construction of an overhead bridge or subway, for there would be congestion at this point as long as Wellington was Wellington. Certainly the .worst conditions in New Zealand existed there, because practically the whole of the railway public had to pass through that cramped space, which was much too narrow to serve them. By-law 1000. Perhaps it was necessary to remind the committee of by-law 1000. The chairman: “No; that is the one which insists on people crossing streets at the proper crossing places.” Mr. Short said it was his object to stress the imposition of this by-law for the protection of motorists as against the pedestrian who would wander aimlessly sometimes all over the street, by the provision of fixed cross-overs. More Pointsmen Wanted. Mr. Frank Ross, on behalf of the Motor Carriers’ Association, said the traffic of Wellington had grown to such an extent that it was absolutely essential that additional pointsmen should be stationed at such centres of congesfcion as Lambton Quav, the foot of the Queen’s Wharf, the Manners-Tara-naki Streets intersection. He suggested that a tally should be taken of the motor vehicle traffic at these places, especially at the Queen’s Wharf. He understood that one of the inspectors had already taken one at the Queen’s Wharf, and had counted 400 vehicles in under half an hour, and all the time the traffic was increasing as the number of vehicles was added to. He also wished to draw attention to the increase in motor traffic of an evening, and to suggest that pointsmen were becoming just as necessitous after dinner as before. It was said that if men were employed in the evening they would have to get time off in the daytime, but he was sure some arrangement could be made whereby the motoring public could be better safeguarded than they were at present. It was realised that the traffic authorities must find great difficultv in securing parking places for cars, but the carriers were finding it increasingly difficult to deliver goods owing to cars being left along the sides of roads other than declared parking places. The width of the street.and volume of traffic pointed to the necessity of only permitting cars to be parked in places especially provided for that purpose. The speaker also referred to the necessity for providing cross-overs marked with, white lines for pedestrians and a -white line for the guidance of traffic at all tramstops. The Offensive Motor-Cycle. Mr. Ross also suggested a stricter control over the speed of motor-cycles, and drew attention to the offensiveness of the cyclists, especially at night time, by reason of the noise caused by their exhausts, more particularly when the cut-out was left open. He also stressed the necessity for a by-law prohibiting cyclists from holding on to tramcars, motor lorries, etc. This practice was the cause of many accidents and should be prohibited by by-law. The chairman said the committee was taking up the enforcement of the bylaw referring to crossing places, and to insist that these were to be defined by lines and at right angles to the traffic. He also pointed out tht the creation of such crossing places imposed a dutv on motorists to slow up at such crossing places. If there was carelessness on the part of the pedestrian, there was sometimes carelessness on the part of the motorist, and it was incumbent on the council to curb it" as far as possible. Outside Practical Politics. As to the suggestion of an overhead bridge or subway at Lambton Quay, Cr. Luckie though that was ousidc the scope of practical politics as it was known that they were to have a new station —at least one had been promised Wellington for the last twelve or fourteen years —that would enable the traffic to be handled much more conveniently. He agreed that in view of the rapid increase in motor traffic additional inspectors were needed to control the traffic, notably at the corners of Cuba, Manners, and Willis Streets, and Lambton Quay. The agreement with the notice expired on August 31, and an arrangement had been made for them to carry on during the current month. The Minister bad been approached through the Commissioner (Mr. Mcllveney) but owing to being too busy with his Parliamentary duties be could not give it attention until the House rises; but there was a proposal for the Government to synchronise the control of traffic in all the large cities. The council was faced with the financial side of the matter, as it was said that the service was costing the police more than the council was paying, and if further service were needed the council would have to pay a good deal more than at present. Parking of Cars. Councillor Luckie said that the parkI ing of cars in streets otherwise than

those declared to be parking places was a definite breach of the by-laws. The undue speed of motor-cycles was a matter of considerable importance, as was also the nuisance created by open exhausts. Both offences should be subject to regulations. The committee would go fully' into the matters touched upon with the view of ameliorating existing