A PARKING PROBLEM

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23806, 12 May 1939, Page 5

A PARKING PROBLEM

CARS IN PRINCES STREET TRAMWAY UNION’S COMPLAINT REPLY TO RECENT STATEMENTS Drawing attention to the fact that its chief complaint was that the parking of motor cars on the eastern side of Princes street between the Dowling street intersection and the Bank of New Zealand corner constituted a langer to public safety the Tramwaymen’s Union has issued, through its secretary (Mr J Robinson) the fol 'owing statement in reply to the com ments on tramcar brakes made by Cr H L, Gibson, chairman of the Tramwavs Committee of the City Council:— Steep Down Grade “ The members oi the Dunedin Tramwaymen’s Union have perused with interest the report of the Automobile Association’s discussion of our letter with reference to the parking of cars in Princes street between Dow ling street and the Bank of Now Zea'and corner and the subsequent reports of interviews with Cr Gibson. ‘‘Our primary complaint was that ne parking or motor cars in Princes ■greet in the vicinity mentioned constituted a danger, inasmuch as traffic oroceeding south is forced over on to 'he tram lines when passing those narked vehicles and the motorman of ‘he following tramcar is called upon o exercise extreme care to avoid acciients There is a steep downward grade in this place, and it will be obvious to everyone that the stopping of a tramcar on that grade is more diffi•ult than on the flat especially in wet ’er-ther when the rails are greasy " Even the members of the Automobile Association will admit that they have to allow more room in which to pull up on a down grade and still more when conditions are greasy, and that they would not relish other vehicles cutting in front of their motor cars without warning, as they do in front of the trams on this section of Princes street An Elementary Principle "Cr Gibson has stated that bogey trams could be stopped in the same distance as the smaller trams We cannot believe that the councillor really meant this, because it is an elementary principle that a heavier body travelling at a certain speed is harder to stop than a lighter one travelling at the same speed. The bogey tram empty weirhs about ”1 tons, and the others about nine. “The Tramways Union in the interests of public safety, desired that parking should not be permitted between Dowling street and the Bank of New Zealand but apparently the Automobile Association and the City Council think more of the little effort of a few motorists compelled to park a few chains from the place in which they are conducting their business.’’ Tramway Manager’s Reply

When the question ol tramcar brakes was referred to the tramway manager (Mr W. H Mackenzie) yesterday he said (hat to offset the heavier weight or the bogey trams more powerful braking equipment was provided, and these cars could be pulled up in the same distance as the light ones The heavy cars were fitted with tour magnetic brake shoes to grip the rails, and the smaller cars had only two. Of course, if a vehicle got out of control and skidded the heavier one would gc farther than the light one Apparently this was the elementary principle referred to The bogey cars weighed about 17 tons and the smallei ones just over 10 tons In the case of a tram skidding, motormen had the sand to apply but the whole point, Mr Mackenzie said, was that the trams were tested up to a hish standard by the Bublic Works Department, and th. bogey cars were not allowed any greater distance in which to stop than the lighter ones