"KEEP TO THE LEFT"

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 140, 11 December 1923, Page 8

"KEEP TO THE LEFT"

ON AND AFTER SATURDAY.

Wellington will, according to the bylaw, walk to the left on and after Saturday morning, for, holiday rush or no, it has been decided to make the change in footpath practice immediately the new bylaw operates. Footpath signs are now being prepared, and other means of teaching pedestrians the new order of things are being considered. Of course, nothing could be simpler than to ask people to "Keep to the Left," and at once have the satisfaction of watching them do so, but the fact, remains that folk in other towns where the change has been made, are, generally speaking, apparently, constitutionally unable to remember the request for more than a few minutes at a time, and that nothing short of notices on every third or fourth post, centre lines on the pavement and footpath, traffic men to help along with sarcastic advice, will jog up their memories. during the first week or so. The reason is clear enough, the "keep to the right" habit has become a. part of the city man's ■mental make-up, and if his way is blocked he turns to the right as a natural thing.

The footpath patrol men will also do the town a, good service if they are able to persuade citizens that the place to keep appointments in the city is not in the centre of the footpath or directly in the traffic streams. At the corner of Manners and Cuba streets, for instance, the footpath block is always bad in busy hours, particularly so on late shopping nights; standing room only, walkers take the* roadway, seems to fit the case pretty well on that and other midcity corners. . ; On and after Saturday mornine "KEEP TO THE LEFT." mornjlß'