SECRETARY ABROAD

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 36, 12 February 1938, Page 28

SECRETARY ABROAD

MOTORING PROBLEMS

MR. SUTHERLAND'S TOUR

(From "The Post's" Representative.) LONDON, January 19. Valuable data on a large number of topics affecting the welfare of the motorist has been obtained by the secretary, Mr. W, A. Sutherland, who has been in England since December making investigations on behalf of the Automobile Association (Wellington). He has spent a good deal of time at the Automobile Association headquarters in London and has also visited its area offices at Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff, and Guildford. He has been impressed by the complete and thorough organisation of the world's largest motorists' organisation.

Pending the completion of his overseas tour, Mr. Sutherland is unwilling to pronounce final judgment on the matters he has studied, but he said

that so far as traffic is concerned it was clear that New Zealand, did not have to face the type of problem presented in London and the other large English cities. Nevertheless, his observations must prove of considerable value to him.

He has spent considerable time inspecting the automatic traffic light systems that are in use throughout England and commented on the fact that many small towns through which he passed had the vehicle-actuated lights in operation. Everywhere they were proving most satisfactory and he was looking forward to the time when they would be used more extensively in New Zealand. He. had been interested, too, in the complete one-way traffic system operating in the centre of Birmingham. THE ENGLISH ROADS. Mr. Sutherland commented on the fact that. practically every road he had passed over in Britain was permanently surfaced. He thought, however, that the super-elevation or banking at corners could be improved in very many places. He felt, also, that the policy of constructing roads to take three lanes of traffic would ultimately be replaced by the building of wider carriage-ways. One very satisfactory feature of new road construction in Britain was the extent to which footpaths and cycle tracks were being provided, although he had observed that cyclists still preferred the roadway. He found the traffic islands or roundabouts, extensively used at intersections, to be very effective, under British conditions at least.

Asked his opinion of parking systems in Britain, Mr. Sutherland said there was no uniformity of procedure in different towns. There appeared to be a stricter enforcement of parking regulations in Birmingham than in other cities he had visited, but the Birmingham Corporation had provided a large municipal car park capable of accommodating about 1000 vehicles. This was in the heart of the city and extensive use was made.of it by the motoring public. As in' most motorised countries, parking was a serious problem in Britain and local conditions and circumstances appeared.to. dictate the severity with which the regulations were enforced. •

Mr. Sutherland will make investigations also in Canada and the United States.