CHRISTCHURCH TRAMWAYS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCVI, Issue 14416, 5 July 1907, Page 8

CHRISTCHURCH TRAMWAYS.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—-With your permission I would! like to draw the attention of the Trainway Board to two incidents that occurfrequently at the corner of Wordsworth Street and Colombo Street, Sydenham. The first is more humorous than harm-, ful, but the second is highly dangerous. With regard to the first incident, tho traffic manager has apparently timed three trams running on a single line ixa different directions to meet at a vertf narrow and sharp corner. The consequence is that, after a good deal of backing and shunting, and a waste or about five minutes time, the respective trams are enabled to continue their* journey. The spectacle is rather interesting to an onlooker, and maybo the perfection of tramway traffio management, but an outsider fails to realise this. The passengers in one of the trams, while the shunting is going on, have time to get in and out comfortably, but I do not think this is intentional on the part of the management. Tho second incident at the same corner is far more dangerous. Sometimes only two trams _m6et, tho Opawa tram coming from the square and the Cashmere Hills tram coming from the Hills, and then the conditions of a serious accident are present. Iho tram from the Hills runs up as closo us possible to the points, within two or three feet, and thero waits for tho Opawa tram to take the points, which the Opawa tram does at full speed, lb only requires the Opawa tram to muss tho points to collide with tho stationary tram at about eighteen or twenty mi'les an hour. Wiih the finely-adjust-ed points on railways this sometimes occurs, and is much more likely to on tram lines where there aro loose stones about, lu all probability, unless the drivers are instructed to tako these points slowly and well under control, there will be a serious accident at this corner.—l am, etc.. A.G.H.