‘Should Make Roads Fit For Traffic ’

Northern Advocate, 5 August 1949, Page 2

‘Should Make Roads Fit For Traffic ’

WELLINGTON, Fri. (P.A.). The roads should be made fit for the traffic they were called upon to carry, said Mr E. R. Neale (O—Nelson), when the House of Representatives went into committee on the Transport Bill last night. He said it was not sufficient to attempt to limit loads to the present capacity of the roads. The Government collected enough in petrol tax and other taxes to face up to the problem and the policy of road improvement should be applied to the main highways. Mr Neale also urged that the recommendation in the road code that pedestrians on rural. roads at night should walk facing oncoming traffic should be written into the law, as it was in England. Statistics showed that of accidents to pedestrians at night, by far the greater proportion occurred when pedestrians did not face oncoming trsfric Mr Hackett, Minister of Transport, agreed that it was desirable to get the highways and byways into a condition where they could cope with traffic demands. Lack of manpower was one of the difficulties which prevented progress in that direction. The bill was put through committee and referred to the Statutes Revision Committee for consideration of three clauses dealing with legal procedures.

Vice Admiral Sir Charles S. Daniel has been appointed to succeed Air Chief Marshal Sir John Slessor as commandant of the Imperial Defence College. Admiral Daniel, who was until recently Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy, will take up his duties at the college on September 19.