RACE DAY TRAFFIC.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16582, 15 November 1921, Page 2

RACE DAY TRAFFIC.

Suggestions for control ! A number of suggestions for the con- 1 trol of tho public and of traffic on race , days were contained in a report on the Carnival Week traffic, proscutod by the general manager at yesterday's * meeting of the Tramway Board. The re- | port was considered in committee, arid i on. resuming it was reported that a 1 sub-committee consisting of th© chair- < man (Mr S. A. Staples), and Messrs J. J M ood and T. 11. Davey had been up- - pointed to consider certain suggestions, i and to confer with representatives of - the Metropolitan Trotting Club at an , early date. The same sub-committee was also requested to confer with th© j Superintendent of Police with the object of securing still further co-oper- j at ion on big traffic day?. Th© following clauses contained in the general manager’s report were made available for publication : , ' CONTROL OF PUBLIC. ! 1 " The police authorities kindly stationed men in th© bqua.ro and in other places to assist in th© control of tho public, and a number did good work. One constable stationed at the Hospital corner was particularly good. Th© city motor inspectors, too were, as usual, doing splendid work in tb© worst places. Unfortuntely only ono policeman was at the trotting exit , when th© races terminated on Friday. Although all available cars were in re- I quisition, and kept moving as fast as i possible, despite the delays at th© rail- j way crossing, which were unavoidable, I the Show requirements prevented a largo supply of cars being parked for ‘ th© end of the. racing, as is possible on other days. The result Was that over | an hour elapsed after the last race be- ’ fore the last of the crowd got away, i As each train pulled up into position J there was much scrambling, and the j ladies had a, bad time. Tf. as request- 1 ed, tho policemen who had been stationed on the course had come out a great improvement would have result-j ed. Several narrow escapes from aeci- , dent took place. Considering tho large number of men and women who board moving cars despite everything tramway men can do to prevent it. it is a marvel that no serious accident ■ took place. e< Some policemen .appear t-© be under the impression that the enforcement of tram wav by-laws dealing with the danger of hoarding moving cars does not com© within their province.” j CONTROL OF TRAFFIC AT THE , TROTS. te Th© continued growth of atten- 1 dances at the trotting meetings and of th© us© of motor-cars again emphasises tho need of improvement in cate-ring for all classes of people at- the exits—j pedestrians, taxi passengers, motor people and tram passengers. The ideal condition would be for exits for each class in such position that each would have an uninterrupted passage-to and fro. This does not seem to he pos- I j sible at present, hut I think that some ; improvement is possible. As the result of consultation between Trotting Club officials and tramway representatives - prior to the last race and with th© approval of the- road authorities, it was arranged that hurdles should be. placed I diagonally across the end of St Leonards Street, th© effect being that taxis entered the grounds travelling in the same direction ns the trams, but left th© grounds from the end of Moule Street, and via Loan and Mencantile's paddock, thus avoiding meeting other incoming taxi traffic and incoming . trams at awkward corners. These hurdles were placed in position by the club authorities, and served their purpose well. Just before th© last race on Thursday T found that thev had i . been removed, so had them replaced. | On Friday morning I ascertained that j it was still the wish of the club author* - | ties that they should remain, but in the afternoon they were again removed. ! I had them again replaced* hut a. club groundsman said the club’s instructions were for removal so ho with some willing taxi men did so. T left th© matter in the hands of th© city motor inspector, who, after attempting to control the traffic in both ways, was i finally compelled to direct the taxi traffic through the paddocks as originally arranged, and without the assistance of the useful hurdles. There is. I understand, some difficulty with re- , speeb to the use of the paddock referred to, and another trouble is that there appears to he no control of the private cars there, and the taxi men found their exit barred once or twice. “ The absenc€fc»f control penalised the man who wanted to play tlx© game. One taxi man had to wait twenty minutes in the paddock before he could get out with his passengers. Not fair to th© public nor to him. It prevented him making a return journey. Not a few cases were reported of persons having taxis but* being unable to use them owing to the congestion.”