WHAKATU BRIDGE

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 236, 18 September 1936, Page 5

WHAKATU BRIDGE

Footway for Use of School Children CONSIDERED DESIRABLE The desirability of a footway on the Whakatu railway bridge is to be urged upon the department by the Hawke’s Bay Education Board. At to-day’s meeting of the board members considered that such a footway would afford a means of safety to children and would remove the risk that would be taken by children in order to have a shorter route to school. The board received from the department a copy of a memorandum from the General Manager of the Railway Department to the Under-Secretary of the Native Department with reference to a proposal to construct a footway on the bridge. The Native Department had asked the Education Department whether it was prepared to contribute towards the cost of the footway; and to enable the matter to be considered the department would be pleased to have the board’s views as to the necessity or desirability of providing a footway for the use of the school children. The chairman, Mr G. A. Maddison, pointed out that without the access that would be afforded by a footway the children from Whakatu in going to school had either to walk to Clive along a main highway or go another long way round to the Mangateretere school over the Pakowhai bridge. Rather than do that they would probably take the risk and walk across the railway bridge, which might prove to be dangerous.

Mr C. Lassen agreed that the children would take the risk rather than have such a long walk and a danger would ever be present.

The Bev. R. B. Waugh pointed out that at the time the children would be on their way to school the southbound express would be on its way to Hastings.

The board then decided to urge upon the department the necessity of the suggested footway.