TRAFFIC REGULATIONS

Evening Star, Issue 21641, 9 February 1934, Page 8

TRAFFIC REGULATIONS

LATE NIGHT IN TOWN GENERAL COMMITTEE'S FINDINGS To Wednesday night’s meeting of the City Council the General Committed will report that consideration has been given to representations by a deputation from the retail section of tho Otago Employers’ Association respect, ing the existing restriction on. motor traffic in Princes and George streets on Friday evenings. The complainants averred that the restriction had resulted m the loss of a good deal of trade, and asked that it ; be - repealed. This question received very close at* tention by the committee before tha decision was made to bring in a regulation. The number of motorists using the main street for retail shopping on the late night, as compared with pedestrians, was relatively very small, although their influence on the traffio difficulty was proportionately great,and there had been many complaints.as to congestion and danger; to pedestrians due in the main to stationary vehicles restricting the roadway area. On Friday evenings pedestrians are compelled to use the roadway in, large numbers, as they cannot be accommodated on. the footway, hence the, risks are increased, and it was considered, under the special circumstances, that the traffic restricting regulation now in. force was both necessary and advisable. Shopping motorists can still leave their cars on authorised parking places, or nearby streets,, where the main street traffic'restriction does not apply,; and still be within reasonable proximity to the main shopping areas. On the other hand the non-shopping motorists experience no hardship in being obliged to take another route away from the main thoroughfare. . The regulation has been the subject of favourable comment since it wa« brought into operation, and the committee is of the opinion that it would be a retrograde step to go back to tL# old conditions.