PARKING OF CARS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21925, 8 October 1934, Page 11

PARKING OF CARS

♦ POWERS OF INSPECTORS j RULING BY MAGISTRATE [by telegraph—own correspondent] DARGAVILLE. Saturday Proceedings against a solicitor were taken by tho borough traffic inspector in the Magistrate's Court under the mctor vehicles regulations, which em- j power traffic inspectors to give reason- i able orders as may be necessary concern- | ing stationary vehicles which arc in j such a position as to have an inefficient j or dangerous ellect upon the course ol j traffic. j Defendant pleaded not guilty to a charge of refusing to move his motor vehicle when requested by the inspector, whose evidence was that defendant parked his car close to the kerb at a theatre entrance. When asked to move the vehicle he refused, holding that there was no sign or borough by-law I relating to this restriction, j In fining defendant 20s and costs 10s. the magistrate, Mr. G. N. Morris, said it was quite Clear that the offence concerning which the charge was laid was not an infringement of a borough by-law. The offence consisted in disregarding a reasonable request from a traffic officer. Section 1 -I, which had been quoted, related to permanent places where cars should park. The regulations under which this case had been brought covered cases of temporary duration. It was intended to cover those cases where the orders given by traffic officers would depend upon the time and the circumstances. A football match might be instanced as an occasion when the control of traffic was vested in a traffic officer under this regulation, said Mr. Morris. As to the reasonableness of the direction, the inspector was acting under the instructions of the Borough Council, which had been asked by the police to take such steps for the safety of pedestrians in crossing streets, by giving them a clear view of the street and enabling them to get across 'without encountering traffic. Whether tho defendant stayed there two minutes or 10 did not matter.