CORRESPONDENCE

Evening Star, Issue 25776, 26 April 1946, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE

TRAFFIC CONTROL. TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —So the traffic department has secured its first conviction against a podestrian for crossing a street against the light. One is curious to know whether the apprehension of the offender was effected by •an inspector single-handed or by two or more of the three inspector's, whom one .so often sees at the lights about a quarter to 9 in the morning. We are told that the lights are placed at the corner of Stuart >aud Cumberland streets for the protection of pedestrians. Truly the solicitude of the traffic department for pedestrians in Stuart street is touching. Would that the same solicitude were displayed for pedestrians in other parts of the city.

At' 5 o'clock in the evening an inspector is stationed in the middle of the intersection of High street and Cumberland street, hut he appears to confine his attention to vehicular traffic. The pedestrian has to look after himself. Going from Dowling street towards the Railway Station on the left hand side of High street he stands on the corner by the Kaitangata Coal Company's office until.the inspector '.' with one wave of his hand " stops the traffic in Cumberland street, then steps off the pavement only to find himself in peril from traffic coming down High street and turning north into Cumberland street behind him. No provision of time for pedestrians to cross Cumberland street is made, although there are many of them proceeding to the station to catch one or other' of the suburban trains which leave at 5.15.

Pedestrian crossings in Dunedin appear to be signals to some motorists to speed up to beat pedestrians across or to toot their horns and come gaily oil. The ;two crossings from the Railway Station to Stuart street are very bad, from the pedestrian's point of view, for these breaches of the. traffic regulations. One never sees an inspector at either of these crossings at the_ time of the arrival of a suburban train.

Frequently the pavement in Moray Place, in the vicinity of the Empire theatre, is blocked by a lorry, from which goods arc being unloaded, and pedestrians have perforce to take to the middle of the street if thoy wish to pass on their lawful, occasions.

In Castle street, opposite the Railway Station, a fleet of motor cycles is permitted for the whole of every working day to occupy half of the space between the pavement and the tram rails. The parking notice about 20yds away indicates that parking is permitted for 60 minutes. There are not manv businesses allowed the privilege of placing stock-in-trade in the street. My sympathy is with 'the pedestrian whose crossing against the. lights cost* him 155.—1 am, etc., April 24. Treat 'em all alike.