"ALWAYS DANGEROUS"

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18760, 17 July 1935, Page 4

"ALWAYS DANGEROUS"

MOTU HILLS ROAD NOT BEING NEGLECTED Attention has been given to the highway over the Motu hills over the past 12 months, but the official view is that this road has been always dangerous for motor traffic.

A statement to this effect was made in a letter read at to-day's meeting of the Cook County Council from the Main Highways Board's Gisborne representative, Mr. 0. G. Thornton. This was in reply to representations•,made to the Main Highways Board by. the county chairman.. Crs. Charles Matthews, who said when raising the matter that he was speaking not as a county councillor but as a member of the No. 4 District Licensing! Authority, which had received complaints from those who had been forced to use the road during times when the Vvaioeka road had been blocked to traffic. Cr. Matthews reported then that the road was in a dangerous condition in view of the, fact that the edges had been broken away by travelling stock. Mr. Thornton's reply stated that the matter had been referred to the board's representative at Tauranga, under whose control the Motu Hills road came. "This officer," the letter stated, "reports that considerable attention has been given to the road during the past 12 months and that;-any work,:of this nature remaining should be completed within the next three months.. He also points out that the road has always been somewhat dangerous for . motor traffics and it is impossible to effect any great improvement without very heavy- expenditure. From the board's, point of view, of course, it is not possible to keep both the Waioeka and Motu routes up to a high standard where the traffis is generally very limited. You will see, therefore', "that"' the Main Highways Board has not neglected the old Motu. highway as has been suggested." The letter was received.