SOUTH WESTLAND

Grey River Argus, 3 August 1937, Page 3

SOUTH WESTLAND

RAILWAY AND ROAD. The Mat’or of Ross, Mr. John Murdoch, speaking to an Argus reporter, said the people had not yet come to realise the transformation which new development was making in the needs of South Westland. The traffic position especially was an acute one toclay. “Every time I travel between Ross and Harihari,” he said. “I marvel that there are. not more accidents on this part of the road. You never know when you may meet one of those six-wheel timber lorries, or the Railway Road Service’s lorries carrying sheep in a huge erate-like contraption. This road was never built to carry ten-ton lorries, and with so many bad corners, where you are driving blind, it is time that some system of "safety first” was adopted. “Until such time as the railway is extended further south, I would suggest that these heavy lorries should be run to a time table, so that private cars will know where they are likely to meet them. We will soon be having the summer holiday tourist traffic upon us and we should, as far as possible assist travellers by car, so that they may not be inconvenienced by , hold-ups when they meet these huge lorries on the road. I would suggest that these lorries be given certain hours which could be regulated ly the Traffic Officer:—Say all lorries to leave Ross at 8 o’clock each morning, arrive at Pukekura at say 9 o’clock, arrive at Harihari say 10.30 o'clock, and arrive in Wataroa say at noon. On the up trip they could leave Wataroa at 6.0 a.m. arrive Harihari 8 o'clock, arrive Pukekura 9 a.m. and arrive in Ross say at 10.30 o’clock. The ..afternoon trip could leave Ror.s at say one o’clock and carry on like the morning trip. These times are only suggested, as different lorries will take different times to. cover the journey according to their loads; but it would be the duty of the Traffic Officer to take an average after the system were in operation for a week or two. When private cars knew this time table, they could arrange to dodge being on the road or get into a turn out, until they alii go past them. “I arm aware that the timber interests arel at extra expense in road transport but it should only induce them to foin in urging the railway extension as a matter of immediate necessity. Oil the Government’s part, the extension! is first rate business. Apart from tapping forests and. opening up country, : it must only increase rail traffic itdije nearer the line goes toward thei glacial region. Railcars running as far as Wataroa, and buses to Waiho,!, wpuld mean one day trips to the glaiiqrs for thousands on eitner side ofldie Island. Hence, the future of the. liije is doubly assured. But, apart fom that, the railway is now wanted for heavy traffic, both up and down, j The region is one in which, as soon as there is a railway, road transport coifd not compete with it.