RIDING ON FOOTPATHS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 309, 5 November 1910, Page 5

RIDING ON FOOTPATHS.

A First Conviction

At the Magistrate's Court on Thursday, before Mr F. O'B. Loughnan, S.M., G. Derbyshire, Town Clerk, en behalf of the Borough Council, charged L. Ferens with riding a horse on the footpath in Ward street, Te Kuiti, in October last. Plaintiff was represented by Mr H. Hi no, the borough solicitor.

G. Darbyshire, in his evidence, said he saw defendant riding on the footpath and drew his attention to the fact. Defendant deliberately rode straight past him. Notices had been put up at the end of the footpaths, and defendant must have passed two of them. There had been many complaints lodged and the borough had put these notices up. The road was quite passable. He had warned the baker boys and they did not go on the footpath. There was a clear distinction between the footpath and the road. The hind hoofs of defendant's horse nearly caught him as it passed and there was thus no room. He said to defendant "of course you are aware you are on the footpath." The road was very little better to-day than it was a month ago. H. W. Atkinson said he had lived in that particular district for eight months past and up to a week ago, and had walked over the footpath regularly. There was a ciear distinction between road and footpath on the straight wt, though it was not clearly defined where it twisted to the right. The road was not a good one, but it was quite useable. Defendant said his boy got stuck, but in reply to the Magistrate, he could not say it was exactly at the same place. It was impossible to ride on the road. He rode on the edge of the road. When the Town Clerk passed and said he was riding on the footpath he replied he did not think so. When he reached a bit of decent road he got on it. After an adjournment to visit the site of the offence the Magistrate said he found there was a distinctly formed footpath above ~the level of the road. It was certainly not a good road, but it should be remembered those foot paths were made for the use of pedestrians, and if horse traffic used them they would be no better than the road itself. It was a first offence and he would not inflict a severe fine, but he wished the public to know that the law must be obeyed and that for future offences the fines would be more severe. Defendant was fined 5s and 7s costs.