RANDOM PARKING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20229, 13 April 1929, Page 12 (Supplement)

RANDOM PARKING.

CONFUSION IN QUEEN STREET. Haphazard parking is causing a traffic nuisanco in Queen Street —a thoroughfare which allows little latitude for juggling with the demands of the law and the dictates of common sense. The law at present is benevolent to extremes, and tho liberties which are being taken in daily usage are developing into a custom which will die hard unless a check is promptly"applied. Queen Street is carrying over 20 vehicles a minute at peak periods, and if unnecessary congestion is to bo eliminated thero must be a fuller utilisation of tho available streets. The remedy is to administer tho curb to kerb monopolists. Promiscuous rather than prolonged parking is tho problem which must bo tackled. Tho city by-laws require that in any street whero electric trams are operated stationary vehicles must be " closo alongside and parallel to the footway." Another demand is that a motor vehicle shall not bp left unattended within 20ft. of an intersection. Both restrictions are ignored • every day, and it seems that wholesale warnings would bo more effective than isolated prosecutions. Motorists have been allowed to develop so many versions of parking that it would be unreasonable to launch mass prosecu- / tions before pointing out where the errors lie. Tho city traffic department has been conspicuous in tho past for a courteous word in placo of a blue paper, and if this question could bo tackled in that manner j some uniformity might be achieved. There are many borderline cases. Tho by-law merely stipulates that the vehicle shall be close to the kerb, and every motorist interpets this arbitrary distance to suit his convenience or bad judgment. In some suburban areas it has been definitely laid down that the distance shall bo six inches. Th.e limit should obviously bo within ono foot. In a stroll of 100 yards in Queen Street at any busy period it is possiblo to pick out cars with their wheels over two feet from the kerb. It would not require a very long inspection to detect instances of parking three feet from the footpath. The width of the average four-seater light English car is sft. A largo American six measures 6ft. This means that in an extreme case a stationary motor-car may take 9ft. off tho width of the street. Observations taken (it noon ono day this week showed that of 30 stationary motor vehicles between Wyndham and Customs streets only 13 were within Ift. of tho kerb. Ono car halted within 10ft. of tho intersection of Vulcan Lane, thereby breaking tho by-law beyond dispute and impairing visibility. In two eases motorists elected to pull up where motor-cycles were against the footpath. This meant standing nearly three feet from the gutter. Angle; parking cannot be recommended for a street with the traffic density prevailing to the degree experienced in Queen Street. The by-law against angle parking is strengthened by the national code, a section of tho Motor Vehicle Regulations, 1928, having stipulated that it is an offence to park otherwise than parallel except whero a local authority has established a recognised area for angle parking. Last year tho city traffic department took proceedings against 28 motorists for stopping in safely zone areas, while 26 were convicted for leaving vehicles causing obstruction, and nino for standing within 20ft. of corners. In correcting these bad habits, a timely hint from officers of tho Auckland Automobile Association should not give offence. THEFT 07 ROAD LIGHTS. The engineer in charge of the road construction work in the lower North is finding great difficulty in protecting lights which are placed on the road at night to warn motorists of dangerous points where tho construction work is proceeding. In numerous cases, kerosene lamps, which have been placed "on some particularly, dangerous point have been stolen overnight, and motorists coming through are apt to blame the Public Works Department for the omission. Measures are now being taken to prevent these thefts.

TRAFFIC ON HEW CONSTRUCTION. 'An endeavour is being made to complete the metaling from the Way by Junction, south of Wellsford, to Te Hana, and also to complete a section of the metalling on the Lincoln Road, between Auckland a»id Helensville. Traffic has been advised to avoid these roads, while tho work is in progress. In certain instances cars have travelled over some of tho newly laid metal before tho engineers have had time to consolidate the work with tho roller. The resultant damage has a very detrimental effect and causes a great deal of extra, expenditure to overcome the trouble, in some cases, the bottom course has been loosened and has worked through to the surface to provide an uncomfortable surface for some time to come. An appeal is made by the Auckland Automobile Association to motorists to assist the road engineers in their endeavour to provide good permanent surfaces. There is every possibility that it will be necessary to close these two roads for some weeks, as otherwise the engineers will not be able to complete tho programme before the winter.