MOTOR TRAFFIC

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2805, 24 June 1916, Page 14

MOTOR TRAFFIC

AND THE NEW BY-LAWS

A, VIGOROUS PROTEST

ni win-"'! 0 " c ? m P ris<! <l of members of nn tin ll"'? Cl » b Waited on theßy-la its Committee of the City Council to protest against certain restrictions proposed to be incorporated in the m°nL"i 01 K '■• v "!f w for tl,e control of motor traffic in the streets of Wellington. ■Mr. C. M Banks said he would like to point out how business men who use ears in the course of their daily business will be affected if the by-law is ndopted as drafted, and proposed to show that it was unreasonable. As a concrete instance lie cited the experience of his own company, (C. 31. Banks, Ltd.). All' tho.wholesale houses were now using cars for business purposes and were finding them-profitable: Under the new by-law lis would not be allowed to leave his ear for longer than ten minutes outside his own premises in Grey Street, whilst "expresses could stand there all day. Dur-ing-the. twelve years lie had been driving he had never been held up by a standing motor-car, but lie had been' held up at every stopping place between the Bank of New Zealand 011 Lambton Quay and the ■Royal Oak by one and the same tramcar. With a restriction to ten minutes it would be impossible for anyone to do any shopping in a ear, without.having to risk a. policeman coining.in to order one to shift on, which would be most undignified ainl harassing. Similarly a person would, not be. .able to pay a. visit to another in' the half-hour allowed in streets other, than main streets without coiuniitHnff a breach of the law. These restrictions meant that cars would not be utilised for other than pleasure, purposes, lie.. suggested . that the time allowable for leaving a car in the main streets should be half an hour, at the end of which time a constable or other authority could demand that the car be removed; and that when the car is regarded as an obstruction to traffic that such, authority may at .my time order its removal. He also thought that owners of premises should be empowered to order a person to remove his car from the front of his premises, when it had been there for half an . hour.

Mr. Barber said that until this bylaw came'down it lvas illegal for a person to leave his oar even for one minute. They were really extending l the privilege. ■

Mr. W. Pryor said that they asked the committee to put them in a position of being able to make a fair and reasonable' use of'their curs, and not be put to undue inconvenience, as they would be under the proposed regulations. Business, professional, niid private people all ■ised- ais now, and if they could not •■! have the right to . leave Chem'for-a reasonable time the cars would not be of niucii use to them. The motorcar "was now a necessary adjunct to many businesses, but that could not be if t'ftey were liable to bo moved on by a constable after a few minutes' stoppage. It had to be recognised that the motor-car had come 1 to stay, and was in very gen-eral-use, and whilst they recognised that the traffic had to be regulated,' the 'regulations should not be made unduly severe. If the ton minutes were made half-an-hour, it'.would be considered a reasonable proposition. If they had a by-law that was unreasonable it would give a great deal of dissatisfaction when enforced, and if it.were not put into operation it would become a dead letter. He noted that the main street area extended up Upper Willis Street, as far as Wordsworth Street. Surely the committee would not regard Upper Willis Street as ono that was subject to congestion of traffic. The provisions should be confined strictly lb main business streets. Before the by-law was continued, ho .advised that further inquiry should be made as to what was done .elsewhere. In : lie very Lig , American. cities lie understood that places were provided where people could park their cars. There were 110 difficulties in dealing with the question in such cities, aud it mount safely l'or the owner. In the case of car-owners, who are employed in the vicinity of the JJank of New. Zealand, their curs could be parked opposite the Bank of Australasia 111 Hunter Ktrcct, .aiid other quiet places could. I)e found in other parts of the City. He counselled delay in adopting the by-law, tor if it were adopted in its present form there would be 11 howl in the City. They were there to try and assist the committee, realising that reasonable regulations were necessary.

21 r. (ieorgu Niithau said they would not mind the regulations so much if in the business parts of the town they were allowed to park their cars in an adjacent by street. Mr. W. J. Thompson said that, as a builder, it would be impossible for a man, having a contract in a main street, to . use his car in connection with his work if the proposed by-law were enforced.

Councillor L. M'Kenaie asked if the garages could not be used for parting cars. .

ittr. Pryor pointed out that the time in walking to ami from the parage would uot make it worth while; besides* there would iiecessarily be garage charges. The chairman (Councillor \V. H. P, Barber) said ho appreciated the spirit in which' the deputation had come before the committo. Before file by-law had been, passed tliey lind made inquiries, and ttao 'by-law had been framed on the lines of the Auckland one.

Jlr. Pryor: But it is not enforced. ; The chairman said tlint first of til they must secure.,the safety of the public, whilst!they, did liot wish to hamper-mo-torists, There w.cre over 2000 cars and motor-cycles in' .Wellington, and tne trafiic sio' created bad become an (important, factor and uiust be. dealt with. They could not, i'or. instance,' allow the 6amo privileges in, say, Willis Street, as in ,a. vei-j' nuich wider street—then Manners'' and-Cuba Streets wero also very narrow. The time was coniiug when they might have "to prohibit altogether motor traffic in' those streets, excepting . only those • which had special business iu those streets. - They were not doing this'with the object of harassing .motorists, and the oommittee would take- the deputation's views into consideration, and meet them in any way they could. . Mr. Pryor,asked if Wellington's narrow streets .were not a. factor in preventing accidents. He had no, figures, hit he. could. ;say that there were more motor accidents in the broad streets of Cbrstchurch than in (lie narrow ones of Wellington. Having to be. careful made motor-drivers extra careful in traversing narrow, streets.

The 'chairin.lll said that might be the case, and again promised every "reasonable consideration to the deputation's representations.