THE DUKE’S SAFETY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18579, 13 December 1934, Page 4

THE DUKE’S SAFETY

HALF AN HOU s R EARLY

ROADS TO BE CLOSED POLICE PREPARATIONS ONE WAY TRAFFIC SCHEDULE Adequate precautions against involving the Duke of Gloucester in any accidents, or even congestion of will be taken during the visit of the Duke to Poverty Bay next week. Police control of traffic will be instituted on all sections of the highways on which the royal party will travel, and one-way traffic Avill be enforced on certain sections, to ensure that the Royal entourage will have a clear passage for high speed travel.

In view of the fact that the party is to leave Napier at 9.50 a.m. on Thursday next, and is to reach Gisborne at 5.40 p.ni., after short halts at Wairoa and Morere, the necessity for fast travelling will be recognised by the general public. Particular care is being taken to provide for freedom from embarrassment on the hill roads over which the Duke will enter Poverty Bay on Thursday, and by which he will depart from the district, on Friday, December 21.

The time-table laid down for the passage of the party, from Napier to Gisborne is as follows:—Leave Napier 9.30 a.m.; pass Petane 9.35 a.m.; pass Wnilcari 11.15 a.m.; pass Mohalca 11.27 a.m.; arrive Wairoa 12.5 p.m.; leave Wairoa 12.35 p.m.; reach Morere 1.5 p.m.; leave Morere 1.45 p.m!; reach Muriwai 3.15 p.m.; pass Makaraka 3.27 p.m.; arrive at Gisborne 3.40 p.m. TWO-DAY SCHEDULE

In order to leave the road sections clear for the party, traffic southward will be held up at Muriwai at 1 p.m., and will not bo allowed to proceed until the Duke's party has passed that point. Further traffic points will be established at various settlements, and at Makaraka, traffic southward on the main highway will be stopped fr.om 2.45 p.m. All traffic between the various control points will be required to park well clear of the centre of the road in good time to leave the highway clear for the Duke’s party.

On Friday morning, His Royal Highness and his entourage will pass Ormond, on their northward journey to Rotorua, at 10.15 a.m.; Te Karaka at 10.30 a.m.; Otoko at 11.5 a.m., and will reach Matawai at 11.30 a.m. There will be an unscheduled stop there, and the party is timed to reach Opotiki, by way of the Waioeka road, at 1.25 p.m. Traffic control is to be exercised as on the Thursday, and southward traffic wilLbe stopped at the following points and times: Ormond, 9.30 a.m.; Te Karaka, 9.30 a.m.; Otoko, 9.45 ' a.m.; Matawai, 10.15 a.m.' There will be a traffic block established at the northward entrance to the Waioeka highway section at 9 a.m., and motor traffic will find the alternative route, via the Motu gorge, open during the period of this stoppage on the Waioeka route.

TRAFFIC IN TOWN Provisions for the control of traffic in the Borough of Gisborar will apply only to the streets to be used by the Ducal party, and by people celeb'rating the visit of His Royal Highness during the evening. During the day from 5 p.m., Lowe street will be roped off at Doth ends, and police guards will be established to prevent any incursions of the public, the embargo being effective until 10 a.m. on Friday, December 21. No motor traffic will be allowed in the lower portion of Gladstone road from 2 p.m. until 10 p.m. on Thursday, and in the evening Peel street, Read’s quay, and Lowe street, from Adair Bros, corner to the river, will also be closed to wheeled traffic, in order that there should be no interference with the traffic.

The route to be followed by the Duke on his entry to Gisborne will be down Gladstone road to the Post Office, thence by way of Customhouse street, Childers road, and Lowe street to the Masonic Hotel, where apartments have been prepared for His Royal Highness. On his visit to the Childers road reserve for the public reception, the Duke will proceed along Gladstone road to Carnarvon street, turning down this side-street to Childers road, and then proceeding to the main gates of the reserve. Cars are not to be parked in positions where they may possibly interfere with the freedom of the ducal party, and official arrangements for the parking of private cars will be announced later. The authorities are anxious not to impose any regulations which are unnecessary dr in any way irritating. The goodwill of the public is relied upon to make the application, of traffic control measures a formality, so far as the police are concerned. Nevertheless, there is adequate provision for dealing with breaches of the temporary traffic control directions, and especially for dealing with individuals who may endeavor, by infraction of the rules, to gain an advantage over other members of the general public.

RETURNED SOLDIERS’ PART

LARGE MUSTER EXPECTED An impressive muster of returned soldiers resident in the Gisborne and surrounding districts is expected to mark the first visit of royalty to Gisborne next week. As in all other centres to be visited by the Duke of Gloucester, in the course of his tour of New Zealand, the men who formed the units of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, and performed signal service in the Great War, will be given a prominent place in the proceedings associated with the reception to the Duke, and their parade will be inspected by His Royal Highness as part of the ceremonial. Details of the parade were discussed at a .meeting of the Gisborne Returned Soldiers’ Association executive last evening, when an invitation to take part in the welcoming ceremonies was received from the Mayor, Mr John Jackson, on behalf of the public reception committee. The Mayor asked the association to appoint a representative to take a seat on the dais for the welcoming ceremony, and also indicated that, the returned soldiors’ assistance in other directions would be warmly welcomed.

'Lieut.-Col. R. F. 'Gambrill, who presided over the meeting, outlined the general arrangements for the reception at the Childers road reserve, and stated that as the Duke of Gloucester alights from his car and approaches the dais on foot, a guard of honor comprising territorial trainees will give the royal salute. This guard of

honor will be drawn up on one side of the aisle through which the Duke will approach the dais, and on the other side space will be reserved 'for returned soldiers in formation. The returned men will furnish a feature of special interest to the Duke, it is believed, and will also serve as a buffer between the schoolchildren’s area and the possibility of a break of the .crowds in the period of intense interest associated with the arrival of the Duke.

No obstacle will be put in the way of the children seeing the Royal visitor near at hand, for they will be placed directly in front of the dais, and wilt have ample opportunity of observing His Royal Highness. After the presentation of the address of welcome, and an inspection of the ex-servicemen’s the Duke will pass among the > gathered in the special area, and probably will spend some minutes with tho representatives of the younger generation. The parade of returned soldiers will be held in conjunction with that of the guard of honor furnished by the territorial units trained in Gisborne. The men will muster at the City Hall, it was decided last’evening, and will join the march cf the guard of honor as it passes the mrstering-point, en route to the reserve. . The W.B.C.M.R. Band will be at the head of the guard, and the parade should be an impressive and interesting spectacle. It will pass along Derby street to Gladstone road, and then to the reserve by way of Carnarvon street or Disraeli street, entering the reserve through the main gates. »

TRAVEL BY ROAD

FLEET OF MOTOR OARS PILOT CAR TO PRECEDE Motor transport for the Duke of Gloucester is to be provided by the Post and Telegraph Department, whose drivers will have charge of a fleet of British cars of three different makes. All the cars are saloon models except that in which His Royal Highness will .travel The Duke has especially selected an open car, finished in beige and brown. Wherever it goes it will be preceded by a pilot-car in which / senior officers of the Police Department will travel.

The Post and Telegraph Department has had to cater for the Royal party travel. The Duke has an especially selected New Zealand party, which will vary in numbers, and the police party, which* will also be greater in some parts of the tour than in others. As it would be too great a task for the cars to follow the trains on the frequent occa : sions when the Duke will travel by rail, the cars are to be divided into three fleets of six cars each, and whenever the Duke needs a car at least one of the fleets will be waiting for him. In -some places it will be necessary to supplement the official fleet by hired cars, but in the great majority of places the Duke’s own car will be there to. meethim

The three principal car journeys to be undertaken by the Royal entourage are from Napier to Rotorua, via Gisborne (about 340 miles), from Picton to Franz Josef Glacier (about 440 miles with a short break in the train], and from Queenstown to Christchurch, via the Mount Cook Hermitage (about 370 miles).

ARRIVAL OF WARSHt?. (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. A wireless message from H.M.A.S. Australia says that she will now arrive at Wellington at 9 o’clock on Saturday morning, instead of 9.30 a.m. This will enable sufficient time for the ship to be berthed and permit all arrangements being carried out to schedule time, no alteration being made in the time of the various arrangements.