CYCLISTS' TROUBLES.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 14048, 19 July 1916, Page 4

CYCLISTS' TROUBLES.

. Some vof the -grievances experienoed_ by, cyclists were aired- at thevPolice Court (this morning, when several', cases for; cycling on footpaths were dealt with by • Mr. 'i WY A.. Barton, S.M, . -.. Mr. "L. T./ Burnard appeared on behalf .-of- JdhnYHenry Bull, 7; who was charged, with* cycling, on 'Bailance street footbath on /the / sth 7 inst. In . enteringa p_a=.of, guilty. Mr. Burnard said. there was.^ another 7' resident mi that neighbor-hood'-who was; charged -with' a similar, offence. .-:* Coming down that road every day. as" he ; did, '.one could not help notio-' ing- /that, the roa£—it .was at the height of .the bad^weatherr-was-ir^ a worse con-, di tion than it had been this winter, and 1 it was impossible to cycle on . the -road- in .some places.- It. was a long ( distance from town, and to ' use.' their bioycles, and were compelled to.jgov.on ,the footpath -at a. few places. He thought, it was unfortunate that the Borough Council — for he supposed the Council was the proper authority — did not exercise- a little leniency and waive the sti'ict compliance with the by-law on certain- days when the roads are bad* He understood thi&: course was adopted m some other towns. People residing, m the .looality m question who had to cycle,- could not :get to town without infringing,, the : by-law. under present conditions. In- reply to His -Worship,. Constable Shaw said defendant was riding along the footpath between Clifford street and Ormond ; road. The road certainly, was bad, but , he- himself had: cycled on it that mormng. " ' His Worship: It is hardly tb be expected that you would break the law. (Laughter.) Mr. Burnard: The constable is the only one who> uses > the rOad: m- that' locality^ I have seed, 1 him ploughing his way through. Bta'is certainly an example.; His Worship said ; he could not make any exception m this case. Only the other day he had seen three cyclists riding abreast on a- footpath. . No: doubt the road" m defendant's case was iri a bad state> but it was good enough for tlie cbnstablfe. A fine of £1 and costs 7s was imposed. Frederick Walker for cycling, on the same footpath, was fihed a like amount. In a letter- admitting the offence he pointed 1 out' that it was not his practice to use thefootjpath, but' pn. this day it was absolutely impossible to; use the road.', "t have been, taxed," he said, "for the purpose of being provided with tracks which have never been provided. It', seems to me that cyclists are more sinned: against than sinning," George Bowes did not ' appear td answer a . charge of, cycling on the Or* mpnd road footpath and he was fined j£i and costs 7s. In r . pleading., guilty, to a similar offence James Frederick Foster said- the footpath was very wide at that part (between Wi Fere street and the Borough boundary), and he was just about to get off when/ the constable came along. He complained that the registration fee of 2s : 6d was rather large. His Worship: That is a matter I have nothing to do with. Defendant: The Council .-.should provide tracks. His Worship: That, matter has been before the Council. NO doubt there are many difficulties. Defendant: They have taken- over £330 -of our money.- / , His Worship told defendant he had better approach the< Council/ and 1 imposed a .similar fine to those m the other casesl ' ; ; A-.. m s- '. !____________» I