OUR DANGEROUS CITY STREETS
* RECENT ACCIDENTS TO PEDESTRIANS STRICTER LAWS DISCUSSED BY CITY COUNCIL , Tho recent series of motor-car accidents in tho city, eomo of them involving loss of life to pedestrians, exorcised the Wellington City Council at its meeting Inst night, The matter was broached by Councillor G. Frost, who referred to several specific cases which were recently before tho public, lie'added that only that day he had witnessed the almost miraculous escape of a woman with a perambulator from being run over by n. motorist travelling at a speed of not less than 25 mi r .es an hour. It was time something ps done in the direction of luoro effectively regulating the motor traffic of Hie city. The Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke, M.P.) agieed that tho present state of tho traffic called for drastic and comprehensive action. In fact, the By-Laws Committee already had tho matter in hand. Thero was" no doubt that the council ought to have better arrangements for regulating street traffic in the city area. For 0110 thing, lie consido-od the. council sliouio .insist that haphazard "criss-cross" and 'lugular traffic on tho part of pedestrians fiom one side of tho street to the other should be properly regulated. Thero ought, in tho principal thoroughfares to h) distinct indication boards denoting places where pedestrians should crosa over to tho other side of tho street. Those could bo erected at set intervals at and between intersections. It was, ho continued, no lise denying the fact that tho position of street traffic in tho city was becoming very acute. Sinco the war had ceased there had 'been a big growth in the. motor and nthet vehicular traffic, and, the city's streets being very narrow, they ought to have every regard for tlio position they were placed in. In a letter ho had received from tho City Engine.cr (Mr. Morton) that day, mention was mado of tlie fact that in the Old Country and in America the authorities wore considerably exercised over tho question of regulating motor traffic in tho cities. II<; (Mr. Luke) thought that tlio council ought to havo traffic by-laws that would insist upon all traffic in Willis Sheet, Lnmbion and Manners Street being restricted to only thoso vehicles having business to transact in tliceo very localities. All otliej (through) traffic should lw diverted to the lesscrowded thoroughfares. Referenco was Also made by tho Mayor to the necessity of motorists recognising that must proceed at a slower pace than hitherto in pnesing tho city schools, particularly the Nowtown and Willis Street scliools.
As chairman of the By-Laws Committee Councillor M. P. Liifkio explained that tlio committee was fully impressed with the. necessity for coping With tho city's increasing trallic, anil to tliie end it had tho various matters mentioned by the Mayor already under consideration. One of thoir proposals was to restrict traffic in tho congesteci parts of tho principal streets on the lines suggested that Sght by Mr. Inike. ' Incidentally it was a mattor not only for tho By-Laws Committee, but also for tho Tramways Committee. Tho tramway traffic shonld be bo regulated as to render crossing the streets as little liable to injury to pedestrians as possible. Tho whole matted" required urgent consideration. There was no further discussion.
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Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 43, 14 November 1919, Page 7
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546OUR DANGEROUS CITY STREETS Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 43, 14 November 1919, Page 7
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