SHOPPING NIGHT

Evening Star, Issue 21054, 17 March 1932, Page 2

SHOPPING NIGHT

STATIONARY GARS PROHIBITED FURTHER PROTESTS AGAINST BY-LAW Further protests against tho City Council’s by-law prohibiting other but moving vehicular traffic in George and Princes streets on s Friday nights wei'9 made by Cr Tapley at last night’s meeting of the council. Ho considered that “ tho drastic by-law was not warranted.” Tho General Committee submitted a formal resolution in terms of the city by-laws extending the Friday evening traffic restriction regulation in George and Princes streets to Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve between the hours of G and 10. The resolution amending the by-law was as follows, and it was recommended that the same be adopted : —“ Provided that on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve between the hours of 6 and 10 no vehicles of any description shall be allowed to remain either attended or unattended in that portion of George street between Frederick street and tho centre of the Octagon, and in that portion of Princes street between the centre of the Octagon and Manse street for a longer period than the time actually occupied in taking up or setting down passengers or goods, as the case may be.” Cr Allen moved, and Cr M'lndoe seconded, the adoption of the report. Cr Marlow said he understood the council’s idea was that the prohibition was to apply to every late shopping night. The Mayor: So it was. Cr Marlow: But tho by-law refers to two nights only. Cr Clark said the council’s wish could not be finalised in the by-law. Tho committee was up against the trouble that it did not know what the late shopping night might be, and it could nob make a general regulation. Some shops opened every night in the week, and the difficulty was to say, for the purpose of enforcing tho by-law, what were late nights. That was the reason for Cr Marlow’s suggestion hot being adopted. Cr Marlow moved that the Thursday night preceding Good Friday be included in tho by-law. Cr Mitchell seconded the amendment. “I am in sympathy with the restriction of traffic on these particular nights, but it seems to me that we are going a little too far,” said Cr Tapley, who gave notice of a further amendment that cars be allowed to remain stationary for a time not exceeding five minutes.

Councillors: Oh! No! Cr Marlow’s amendment was carried. Moving his _ amendment, Cr Tapley said he had visited the streets on Friday nights, and the congestion was not so bad. Dunedin was not yet New York. Although the streets were not wide the traffic did not warrant so drastic a clause. It was reasonable that the council should allow people using vehicles to make their purchases within the time limit of five minutes. The bylaw was not fair to the publio. The streets were built for vehicular as well as pedestrian traffic. He was sure many objections would be made to the bylaw, and that it would bo frequently broken. *

Cr M'lndoe said the by-law referring to Friday nights had already been carried, and Cr Tapley’s amendment would refer only to the nights mentioned in the by-law. The Mayor ’ said the suggestion was unworkable, as it would entail an army of inspectors. The couiftil was not preventing vehicular traffic—it desired the traffic to continue. However, the council felt that the shoppers could park their cars in the side streets.'

For want of a seconder Cr Tapley’s amendment lapsed.