KILBIRNIE TUNNEL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 796, 20 April 1910, Page 6

KILBIRNIE TUNNEL.

USE BY' PEDESTRIANS. A deputation introduced by Councillor Fitzgerald, waited-on: the Mayor (Dr. Newman) yesterday to urge that pedestrians should be allowed to go through the Kilbirnie tunnel at hours when tte trams are not running. Mr. Leigh Hunt, who was the principal-spokesman,' produced a letter from the Hon. T. W. HisIdp, dated April, 1907, stating that the council had recognised this principle, and Mr. Hunt stated that a formal intimation from the council of that date to the same effect had been received in answer to a deputation. The privilege had been enjoyed till recently, but lately a. number of prosecutions had been made. Among those prosecuted were two bakers who had gone through the tunnel at 6 a.m. -There was no other way for them to get to work except by walking over the bill, which "wauld delay them very ranch. People had ahso been 'prosecuted for walking through the tunnel on Sunday mornings, presumably when they were goin§ to church. Ii was hoped that the council would revert to the old system of allowing people to walk through the tunnel when no trams were running. It \was quite recognised that people would go through at their own risk.

The Mayor: No, at our risk. If you are killed we are to .£IOOO of JBBOO.

Mr Hunt: Then can you suggest how we can indemnify the council, for we want to take the risk ourselves? If Kilbirnie and other residents missed the last •' car from town on a wild night it was.almost impossible to get over the hi 11..:

The Mayor said that the present council had never permitted people to walk through the tunnel when. the trams were nrnning. A trial car had been put on to caJeh the early tram: • It was not likely to be profitable, but he recognised the previous inconvenience to residents. More Sunday trams had also .been put 0n.;,..,.-

Councillor Fitzgerald asked that the Mayor should look into the. latest prosecutions, and if/ho,' thought they should not have been begun, do all in his power, .to stay the proceedings. The Mayor said there were a num:ber of other people ■ who had • been in the habit of going through. the tunnel at a time when many trams were runn l ms V, T J ,e cmm<^l had agreed that these should be prosecuted. The eases mentioned by the deputation were, perhaps, in a different category. It was suggested that notices might be posted.on the tunnel, stating the hours during which cars ran; and during which pedestrians were prohibited from making use of it, or that a red light might be placed over each entrance to the tunnei to be extinguished when the last car went through. •

The Mayor saidjre would go into the matter with the Tramway Engineer and * f!™' and have a report'submitted, if possible, at the meeting of the council to-morrow night.