CITY TRAFFIC

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 16, 19 January 1924, Page 8

CITY TRAFFIC

PEDESTRIANS AND KEEP TO

THE LEFT

FAULT FOUND WITH FOOTPATH

patrols.

The new rules brought in just before Christmas for -. the better regulation of street traffic, both vehicular and pedestrian, are now in the first case quite well, observed, and in ,the latter quite poorly observed. The rules for vehicle drivera are simple and sensible—cars or other vehicles must not be stopped on the side of the road unless :they face in the direction of the traffic stream on that side of the roadway, and may not turn in mid-city streete, but must run out_ of the busy area before making their turn; and drivers generally are sensible enough to observe those rules. Occasionally. a car driver, either forgets ,px ignores- the'""Don!f turn"' rule, and comphcate3'inattei-s.:.in:'I.sucl1 .sucli Jfe street as Willis or Manners street; and now and iigain a car is left on the side of the roadway facing the traffic stream, having either cut across from one side to the other or paid no attention to the ' Don t turn" regulation; but those' cases are exceptions to well-observed rules. Pedestrians, however, observe the "Keep to the left" rule as they, please, and as 50 per cent, of walkers are apparently not pleased to pay any real attention to it, Wellington's footpaths are back to their old muddle and confusion. ■ _ A correspondent, "Footpaths," writes in regard to the observance of this rule, or, rather, th& non-dbs'ervane: —"City Corporation traffic officers do not appear to take a particnlarly active interest in enforcing the 'Keep to the left'- rule, apart from occasionally relining the footpaths, but, to ( my mind, footpath lines, as has already,been pointed out in 'The lost, lose all their authority after the first few days, for the novelty weijrs off with the first coat of whitewash, or paint, or whatever it is. and a repainting does not bring it back. In a similar fashion, street signs, .be they ever so glaring, become perfectly invisible once people are used to seeing them tacked upon posts. A traffic officer never loses bis authority,- providing he is upon the streets to use it. and though these officers have no doubt other duties to perform, it does not seem unreasonable to expect that some of them at least should be detailed for regular footpath patrol work. Had that been done when the bylaw was" brought in, and. had they -insisted on the proper observance of: a thoroughly sensible rule from the first day, the habit.would by.this time have been pretty well ingrained into walkers. The police take rather a keener interest in footpath manners,' but, -even so, not enough is being-done to straighten out the present muddle to something like reasonable footpath comfort." ' A SAFETY MEASUKE. Old files of "The Post" show that traffic dangers have many times impressed themselves upon members\of the City Council, and that frequently the streetcrossing danger has been spoken of in .the Council Chamber. , About eighteen months ago tKe, discussions appeared to have resulted in a definite decision, for itwas agreed that "at the earliest opportunity" the Bylaws Committee should go into the question of framing bylaws prohibiting pedestrians from crossing over an busy city streets except at recognised crossing-places. In the meantime, how-' ever, the rush of other business has apparently resulted.in consideration of that proposal being put to one side and Wellington steps off from the footpath and rashes across the roadway where it pleases and how and 'when it pleases. Tho strain imposed upon motorists' tram drivers, and others is as a result very considerable, but the crossing regulation would no doubt be framed quite as much in the interests of the pedestrian as.of the driver. Other cities have found such a rule necessary to protect both drivers and pedestrians, and with the increasing volume of motor traffic on the narrow city streets here a crossing rule will certainly have to come sooner or later. It is unfortunate that discussions upon the need for snch regulations as this are as a rule left to follow a serious street accident, instead of anticipating its possibility.