HORSE TRAFFIC

Evening Star, Issue 22343, 20 May 1936, Page 3

HORSE TRAFFIC

TROUBLE ON BITUMENISED ROADS CITY COUNCIL'S HELP SOUGHT With the object of assisting horse traffic to negotiate Stafford and Carroll streets, the executive of the Otago Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals yesterday decided to make further representations to the City Council on the matter. The society considers that the left-hand side of the road from the city in each of the streets concerned should be left clear for horse traffic, in view of the slippery nature of the bituminous surface on the crown of the road, and that the council’s traffic inspectors should devote more attention In the. enforcement of existing restrictions governing the localities. Intimation that the subject concerning stationary motor vehicles in the two thoroughfares concerned had been investigated by the council’s General Committee was contained in a letter from the town clerk. It had been found that there were difficulties in the way of obtaining any improvement in the existing conditions in the interest of horse-drawn traffic. It was further pointed out that the matter had been very fully investigated on a former occasion, and, wuth the object of alleviating the trouble, the private car parking area in Stafford street was removed to a position on the level part of Stafford street, near Hope street. In both Carroll and Stafford streets there w f as a limit of 15 minutes’ standing time for vehicles, and any further restriction would seriously militate against the rightful use of those streets by motor vehicles, which constituted the bulk of the users. There were, the letter continued. a number of streets in the city in a like position to the streets concerned where the grade was actually steeper than Stafford street. It was regretted, therefore, stated the letter, that it was not possible to accede to the society’s request that the street be kept clear for horse traffic, but traffic inspectors had been instructed to give the locality special attention with a view' to easing the difficulty for horse-drawn vehicles as far as possible. Members expressed the opinion that the time limit of 15 minutes was not imposed, and that some vehicles were allowed to stand in the street all day, making it impossible for horse-drawn vehicles to use any part of the road other than the slippery bituminous surface. The opinion w r as also expressed that the traffic inspectors had not given much attention to the locality, and that it was necessary for more than one visit a clay to the street. Mr E. C. Reynolds said that the only satisfactory solution to the problem seemed to be the adoption of the system in vogue in San Francisco and Los Angeles, where a lingo army of traffic inspectors was maintained from the fines imposed by a special commistion. There the inspector placed a little card in the car of the offender, who had to submit a most valid reason if he desired to evade the penalty. After further discussion, it was decided to request the council to erect two notices—“ No parking here ” —on the left-hand side of both Carroll Yind Stafford streets. It was further agreed to ask the council to instruct the traffic inspectors to take more notice of the street in future.