A DANGER ZONE

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 48, 20 November 1928, Page 15

A DANGER ZONE

LAMBTON QUAY BOTTLENECK LIMITING THE SPEED T (H.W.) One of the most dangerous parts of the city for motor, tram, and other wheeled traffic is the bottle neck of Lambton Quay from the Bank of New Zealand corner to Grey Street A really serious accident with loss of life may be expected to take place there before long unless some restriction is placed on the speed of vehicles, including trams. Last week I was on the scene of three collisions, occurring on different days, and almost in the same place—between Hunter and Grey Streets. Two were those of motorcars colliding with trams, and the other case was that of a boy on a bicycle, who was caught by a tram while passing a stationary motor-car. He rolled under the tram as he fell, and the tramcar had to be jacked up before the boy could crawl out Fortunately he suffered from nothing worse than crushed fingers on one hand and shock. One of the motor-cars Involved in the other collision had just started and was pulling out to pass a stationary motor-car in front of it when it was struck by an oncoming tram. Fortunately the tram driver was on the alert, and brought the brakes down hard enough to save the motor-car anything more than a badly-buckled mudguard. The speed of tramcars and motorcars through this bottle-neck is, on the whole, too fast for public safety. Tramcars frequently travel at a good deal In excess of 12 miles an hour through it, and time and again I have seen motor-cars race alongside to pass a tram before it gets to the Bank of New Zealand corner. I have frequently seen motor-cars have the narrowest escapes In getting past in front of a tram, but they will not all escape. Is it necessary to wait for a disaster before doing something to regulate the speed of traffic at this the most congested quarter in the city.