PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELFARE

Wanganui Chronicle, 17 March 1947, Page 6

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELFARE

KEEP DEATH OFF THE ROADS (No. 6.) (By Sir Alker Tripp, C.8.E., Assistant Commissioner, Scotland Yard, London.) What is the present programme? Road sidings must be provided. Tracks without sidings are totally inadequate. The Highway Authorities, it seems clear, are under an obligation to provide the sidings a s an essential part of the highway system. Secondly, a sharp and absolute line must be drawn between the traffic conduits and the local roads (i.e., the roads of the neighbourhood units, where people live, and shop, and have their business and amusements). There must be no overlap between the two classes of road. The overlap causes vast numbers of casualties. There must be no compromise as to this in future plans. Compromise means casualties. DIVORCE DEVELOPMENT FROM TRAFFIC Thirdly, we must divorce Development from Traffic roads. Such a divorce can only be complete in the case of new roads. But we must do our very best on all existing traffic roads, also. The past cannot be undone, but the evil can be prevented from extending. All existing roads which will be future traffic roads (however humble they may be at present) should be scheduled at once and kept entirely clear (1) of development and (2) of unneseccary new access. All future development must be confirmed to ad hoc local roads. EXPOSURE OF PEDESTRIANS We must stop the wanton exposure of pedesterians to traffic. Pedestrians who represent sixty per cent, of the total road casualties, would not become so had they not been “exposed” to road traffic. That “exposure" is therefore a factor which needs to be attacked at every opportunity. On existing roads there is a great deal of exposure; but on new traffic roads there need be none at all. New roads created exclusively to meet the need of motor traffic, as distinct from roads built for housing, etc. are no place for pedestrians. Pedestrians have plenty of routes already, and any ones that they require should be kept quite away from main traffic routes. For pedestrians, traffic roads are the very worst place in existence. A recent Committee recommended that, on new outer ring roads, provision should be made for pedestrians, although, as it admits, those roads must be “so designed as to compensate for the detour by higher speeds.” That will not do at all. HORSE-AND-CART MENTALITY It is the horse-and-cart mentality that continues to expose pedestrians, quite unnecessarily, to express-speed traffic. It is the horse-and-cart mentality that makes people cline, for example, to such things as service roads. The service road has never, I believe, been defined. The service it renders is to enable ill-sited buildings to create “ribbon-development” along traffic roads. Traffic roads want no such service T.hat is the very worst service that could be given them. And here again compromise means casualties. The clean cut is essential. The change from the crawling horse-and-cart to the express motor car was a revolution. A corresponding revolution in roads and road usage is the only hope. (Next week's article will be entitled “Transport in relation to Town and Country Planning,” by Professor W. G. Holford, M.A., A.R.1.8.A., who was responsible jointly with Dr. Holden for “The New Plan for the City of London” approved by the Court of Common Council.)