STYX LEVEL CROSSING.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16158, 12 March 1918, Page 7

STYX LEVEL CROSSING.

RAILWAY DEPARTMENT'S j ATTITUDE. ! i CITY COUNCIL NOT SATISFIED. j The Sti'x railway crossing came under iho notice of the City Council again lasi evening, when the fc' letter was received from the general Manager of Railways (Mr EHiley):— . , f "With reference to your lcttei or 2nd inst.. addressed to thu £ Minister of Railways, which been referred to me to deal with, respecting the necessity of having the Styx iailwav crossing made sate fort ™m> have the honour to inform jou mj en quiries indicato that the view at the crossing question is reasonably good, and, in addition to this, as you are doubtless aware, the Department has installed automatic electric Jells order to givo due notice of the ap proaeh of a train. .The clectr c bells are regarded as providing an adequate warning at the numerous crossings at which they are now installed, ana vt must be recognised that a cortam i sponsibility rests upon the road trajbc crossing the railway to take reasonable precautions with regard to safety. addition to the bolls, and the action taken by the Department m past vears to improve tho view at this crossing, an offer was made to _ tho loca body to provide warning signals at sonic considerable distance from railway crossing, so as to ensuro that road traffic should be aware of the proximity of a railway crossing. Jhe onlv condition attaching to this otter was that the local body should assume the small liability involved in the maintenance of the notice. This responsibility the Waimairi County Council declined to accent. I would emphasise, further, that the Department has taken considerable troublo and has incurred expenditure in order to "™k e this crossing as safe as possible. Notwithstanding this, the local body concerned doolined to undertake the trifling expenditure involved in the maintenance of a painted iron notice. With regard to the recont accident at this crossing, there has been no question raised about the electric bells having given duo warning of tho approaching train. Tho bells provided 'can be heard a very considerable distance before reaching the railway lino, and it would appear that tho motorists either deliberately or carelessly ignoro tho warning given to them. I submit that it is incumbent that persons using level crossings over railways should take reasonable precautions to ensuro their own safety, apart from the obligations that are cast upon thom by the Railways Act, in regard to the spoed at which they approach and cross tli#> railway lino."

Cr. Nieholls said the crossing had been made perfoctly safe, the trees having been felled. Cr. Flesher moved that tho letter be received, and that the Railway Dooartment be asked to move tho electric bells two or three chains away from the crossing.

Cr. Nieholls asked Cr. Flesher if lie had scon the crossing since the improvement* hnd been made. They must reasonable.

The Mayor said the reply from the Railway Department was, from his noint of view, entirely unsatisfactory. The letter blamed the Waimairi County Corncil, but tho local body should not lie saddled with tho responsibility. There were plenty of men net physically fit who could be ptation«>d at the crossing as keepers. Human lifr was too sacred to endanger. The motion was carried.