TRAFFIC ON COBDEN BRIDGE.

Greymouth Evening Star, 26 March 1907, Page 3

TRAFFIC ON COBDEN BRIDGE.

♦ — 1 (To the Editor.) . , gj r _l wish to draw the attention of ( the authorities through your columns to the very dangerous practice tnar the drivers of vehicles have in crossing . Cobden Bridge. Being a frequent j passenger over this bridge during the past few weeks, I have seen some very narrow escapes of people being run over through the carelessness of these drivers. The way they drive one would think they had the right of the whole road, and at night they are frequently without lights, which makes it even more dangerous, as the bridge is none too well lighted at the best of times. Only this evening saw a driver take his horse right on top of a group of ladies and children, which caused them to scatter in all directions. It is a wonder that some of them did not get under the horse. The foot passengers were on the leu side of the road going over and it the driver wanted to pass he should have drawn off to the right. Bat no! It was too much trouble to do that soit of thing, so he drives straight on regardless of the foot passengers. Now, sir, in the first place in any other district there would be a notice up warning drivers not to cross the bridge at other than a walking pace, and again drivers must always give way to toot passengers at all times and places. 1 hope that the Council will have notices put up at each end of the bridge warning drivers and for the information of foot passengers before some serious accident happens. From a visitor’s point of view, yours must be a very free and easy sort of town to live in for one seldom sees a light on any vehicle after dark, be it either cart or bicycle. They .all seem to enjoy the utmost freedom to the full width of the road and footpath, for the cyclist seems to think he has a perfect right to the footpath, and one has to be very •lively to get out of his way in the dark, and if he happens to upset one in the mud if he is able to pick himself up and get out of the way he never thinks of enquiring of the damage he has caused. I myself was almost upset in the main street of your town'the other evening by a cyclist coming round , a corner on the footpath without a light or bell, but these little things do not appear to trouble your townspeople or the police but they are noticed by a visitor. — etc., CAUTION. March 25th, 1907.