LEVEL CROSSINGS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 200, 27 August 1935, Page 7

LEVEL CROSSINGS

TO BE ELIMINATED GOVERNMENT’S PROGRAMME LARGE SUM TO BE SPENT IN NEXT THREE YEARS WORK FOR UNEMPLOYED [ Per Press Association. ] CHRISTCHURCH, Aug. 26. During the next three years trie Gov urnment proposes to spend £360,000 in eliminating railway level crossings throughout the Dominion. Tihe pro gramme mapped out provides for thu allocation ot £120,000 each year for this purpose. This announcement was made tonight b* the Prime Minister, the Hon. G. Forbes, in a pre-sessional address at Ilangiora. Mr. Forbes staled that discussions had recently been taking place between tho Main Highways Board, fibc Unemployment Board and the Railway Department, and careful consideration had been given to the matter from tne points c-f view of the road user and the rail user in relation to the amount ot risk involved in each case, and also from the point of view of the Unemployment Board, which is desirous ot finding full-time employment of a national character for, certain classes of unemployed. Mr. Forbes said that whilst the total number of accidents in the running of tTie railways was not excessive when the total annual mileage covered by goods and passenger trains was taken into account, accidents at level crossings formed rather a large proportion of such accidents, and it was thought desirable and the time opportune to minimise these risks as far as possible. “Tho programme proposed for the next three years is to cost £120,000 per annum, a total of £360,000,” he said, “and an agreement has been reached as to the allocation of the cost between the Main Highways Board, the Unemployment Board and the Railway Department together with, of course, such assistance as will be forthcoming from local bodies. Investigations have been carried out jointly by railway and public works engineers at 50 oi the most important level crossings in the Dominion, and from these a’selec tion will be made for the programme for the current year. Elimination will be effected in some instances by an overhead bridge, in some by a subway, in others by a highway deviation, and in a few cases a small relocation of the railway may offer the cheapest and best solution. Air. Forbes said he felt sure that the desire on the part of the Government to eliminate as far as possible tno risks of accidents at these crossings would bo appreciated by the public generally, and more particularly by road users. It would also find useful work for a number of unemployed.