PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC IN DUNEDIN

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 151, 23 March 1938, Page 6

PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC IN DUNEDIN

Inspector Replies To Criticism By Telegraph—Press Association. Dunedin, March 22. In reference to the criticism of Dunedin pedestrians by Mr. G. W. Ferens at a meeting of the South Island Motor Union, the chief tratlie inspector at Dunedin, Mr. McNicol, stated that Dunedin was a one-street city that had difficulties not experienced in places where traffic was divided. The George Street and Princes Street footpaths would not carry a large number of pedestrians, and magistrates always contended that there must be one night of freedom. The city council had been compelled -to make a by-law prohibiting cars from being on these streets longer than five minutes between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. There were plenty of side streets for parking motors, but the point was that motorists would not walk a yard. The mayor, Rev. E. T. Cox, stated that during a recent visit north he took note of the traffic conditions in Christchurch, Wellington, Tlmaru, Palmerston North, Wanganui, aud New Plymouth, and found that generally the conditions were similar to those at Dunedin.

Strong criticism of the behaviour of pedestrians in Dunedin was made by Mr. G. W. Ferens, speaking.at the half-yearly conference of the South Island Motor Union at Christchurch on Monday.

"There is nothing in the civilised world to equal it,” he said. "Pedestrians will not move off the road ou Friday nights, and they have been known to spit on cars There is no control of pedestrians. Surely police could remove pedestrians from the road. Tlie Act passed by Mr. Semple hns been absolutely ignored.” The following remit was carried : "That the Minister of Transport be requested to enforce the present regulations and introduce such further control and supervision of cyclists and pedestrians as may be calculated to reduce substantially the number of accidents disclosed by recent motor accident statistics,” A further motion, moved by Mr. H. Lightband, was carried as follows: “That there should be greater co-ordination of police artd traffic officers, particularly in the control of pedestrians and cyclists.”