TRANSPORT OF CROWD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20621, 21 July 1930, Page 11

TRANSPORT OF CROWD.

HEAVY MOTOR TRAFFIC. EFFICIENCY OF CONTROL. QUICK RETURN AFTER MATCH. Tlic handling of traffic J bcforo and after the football matcli at Eden Park on Saturday was a problem calling for efficient organisation and no little foresight. There were about 30,000 people at the match, and they arrived in a steady flow from early in the moru;ng until the start of the game, 15v nirio o'clock many of the parking places near the ground were filled, but the wisest of the curly, arrivals, realising that in the rush to leave there was certain to be some delay, parked their cars in streets some distance away. Under the supervision of police and traffic inspector:-, the parking was orderly, for the motorists, mindful of the rush to come, saw that it was in tJicir own interests to do as instructed. The Auckland Transport Board met the demand with a fleet of 70 traincars, which maintained a constant service to the ground from nine o'clock onwards, and the Dominion Road, Mount Albert and Sandringham services were also used by many of Ihe 8000 people estimated to have been transported by this means. For taxi-drivers the day was a busy one, particularly toward the start of the match, when those who had been detained at business wanted the quickest method possible to reach the ground. , Waiting in Comlort.

Early in Die day, anyone watching (lie crowds entering the ground would have thought there was to be a monster picnic. Handbags, rugs and boxes were carried, and it was obvious that, most of the early arrivals were prepared to wait in comfort. By ten o'clock, the greater part of the terraces was covered, and from then until the game started (he crowd increased at, a great pace. Every tram was filled arid taxis drew up at the entrances one after another.

The programme boys did great business, but there were one or two who, shrewder than their fellows, joined the tramcars a few stops before the park was reached and found a ready sale. By this means one small boy sold 50 programmes in tho time that his companion sold 20. All vantage points outside the grounds were soon occupied und the enterprise of one or two residents whose properties adjoined the ground was handsomely rewarded. Even tramcars, parked in tho siding awaiting the finish of the match, were found to be quite good grandstands. From the carriage windows of every train which passed, heads appeared for a brief glimpse of the play. It was at the finish of the match that the real test was given of the traffic organisation. It was not found wanting. All obstructions were removed from tho gateways, and at the entrance on tho Dominion Bond side of the grounds the whole of the fence was taken down to allow the crowd through as quickly as possible. There was a fleet of 102 tramcars. 26 of which had been waiting on the Dominion Road route. The crowds swarmed them in quick time and the steady flow of traffic toward the city begau.

Homeward Flow of Traffic. So efficient was the handling of tho traffic that within about half an hour the ground was almost deserted, the last, of the tramcars had gone and only a few motorists, who had preferred to wait for the traffic to clear, remained. Many other motorists made detours, which brought them to tho city more quickly than if tlipy had followed the general How of- traffic. Everything went without a hitch and the authorities state that, not a single accident was reported. There was certainly much screaming of brakes, and more than once bumper struck bumper, but that solid stream of tramcars, motorcars and motor-cycles moved steadily and with little interruption.

When the crowd had left Eden Park was a sorry sight. The terraces were like ojic great white sheet. Newspapers wero strewn everywhere and paper bags and bottles were in abundance. (Scavengers, small boys for the most part, were soon at work among the debris. The work of clearing up will be commenced to-day.

Three employees of a city garage saw in likely mishaps to motor-cars in the heavy traffic a sourco of fairly easy money. They hired the break-down waggon from the firm for the afternoon, but it seemed that motorists were taking no risks, for traffic inspectors state that even crumpled mudguards were rare.

MATCH AT HAMILTON. ARRANGEMENTS FOR SEATS. [ Ell* TELEGRAPH. —OWN CO lili F.N I'ON PENT. ] HAMILTON, Saturday. The Waikato Rugby Union has decided to limit reserved tickets for 'he match between Britain and the combined Waikato, King Country and Thames Valley team on August 2 to two for each individual applicant. The reserved serUs plan will open on July 29. There will be t>oo reserved seats available for the public.