MOTOR-CAR BY-LAWS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1984, 14 February 1914, Page 7

MOTOR-CAR BY-LAWS.

Sir,—As .a 1 motorist I beg leave to protest against some of tho new.railway by-laws as affecting motorists approaching level crossings. By-law No. 2. provides that " every mot-orist shall slacken speed to not over fen miles p?r .hour within 100 yards of a level-cross-ing, - This may ;be' a reasonable speed at which to cross the rails, but as the by-law reads a driver is liable to £10 .fine for not reducing speed, even if he has no /intention of crossing the rails, but simply happens to be within a hun- • dred yards of a crossing.. My main road runs parallel and close to the railway, and here and there branch roads cross ■ tho rails. It appears that lam required to slow down when ncaring these crossings. But, sir, the worst is to come. ' The same by-law also provides that the driver shall stop before coming in contact with the rails, and shall keep a vigilant lookout.--'. The by-law does not say he shall stop the car, nor how long he shall keep a vigilant lookout. Personally I'.never come in contact with the rails, so I-take it I am possibly not • required to stop, and therefore should not raise the! dust. The whole of this by-!aiy appears to me to be clouded with ambiguity, but. is none tho-less an irksome, and unreasonable regulation. I submit .that the railways have no right or . justification in- making laws for people using'--.country roaas- or city street'?. It would bo just as. reason-' able |f. our County Council wero to pass a by-law'requiring .trains, .to slow-down and stop and keep a lookout before crossing any county road, or the highway authority might with more reason pass a by-law requiring the railways" to remove their _ workmen's - cottagesfrom close alongside tho level crossings for the reason that they obstruct the view of approaching trains. T/ie penalty clause provides for a £10 . fine for the ordinary-, "person," but only. £1 'fine for a breach by a railway employee. This is only to, bo expected from a De- ' partwent whioh penalises motorists every. : day by an' excossive freight . charge on petrol. Perhaps the railways dp no.t liko this new form of rapid travelling,, as it'.is moro or.less in competition with tho railways. i I had hoped that the advent of the motor-car would urge the railways to keep on improving the service, but it seema that the railways ; wish to block their competition, and wonderfully cheap to users as compared with other countries I have velled in, and I should like them to.confine their efforts in that direction.—l am, etc., TALBOT.