AUTOMOBILE CLUB

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 135, 4 December 1929, Page 9

AUTOMOBILE CLUB

NGAHATJUANGA GORC4E ROAD

PAEKAKARIKI TURN-ROUND

The monthly executive meeting of the Wellington Automobile Club was held last night, Mr. E. A. Batt (president) in the chair. The other members present were Messrs. H. W. Lawrence, A. L. Wharburton, W. R. C. Oswin, H. W. Shortt, A. J. Paterson, I. V. Wilson, and Dr. H. G. Robertson.

The following letter was received from the Town Clerk of Wellington in reply to letters from the club with reference to the condition of the Kgahauranga Gorge road: —"I have to inform you that the City Engineer reports that thers has never been any breakaway of the bitumen near the bridge mentioned in your letters. Flood erosion has, however, affected the haunches, and repairs were effected at the time. With regard to the portion opposite the caretaker's house at the abattoirs, I have to inform you that the haunches all along this road are narrowed, in order to obtain maximum width of bitumen. There is no money available at present for widening, but it is intended to utilise spoil from slips, which in wet •weather are fairly frequent, to improve this and other points." PARKING AT PAEKAKARIKI. iTrom the District Engineer of the Public Works Department was received the following letter in reply to the club's letter of complaint with regard to the turnround at the top of Paekakariki Hill being used by motorists as a parking area, and suggesting a special parking1 area:—"Your suggesetion that the old road at the Paekakariki Summit be used as a parking area is satisfactory, and if carried out ■would make adequate provision for motor vehicles for many years to come. The Main Highways Board cannot expend moneys on this class of work, as the land is privately owned; but I have no doubt that your association could make arrangements with the owner to have the use of this old road for parking purposes. At the present time the owner (Mr. J. S. Smith, of Paekakariki) is constructing a tea-room at the north end of the old road, and would no doubt be glad to have a parking area apart from the main highway. In my opinion the turning-place already constructed should be left as at present, and no inducement should be given to motorists to park at this point." Members of the executive remarked that no inducements were needed, as motorists were already parking there. I

It was decided to write the Public Works Department, suggesting that a "JSo Parking" notice be put up at the turn-round; and that the road be further improved bo as to increase the visibilitythere. WAIOURU-TOKAANU ROAD. The following letter was Teceived from the Public Works Department:—"With regard to your club's support of the request from the Wanganui Association for certain improvements to be carried out on the Waiouru-Tokaanu road, I have to advise that this matter received consideration when the Supplementary Estimates for the current year were being prepared, end it was decided to include an amount of £600 for the work required. My Department's district engineer at Taumaruaui recently applied for authorisation of ;fchat sum, in order that certain culverts could be placed, water-tables cleaned out, and the road generally improved, and I havo pleasure in informing you that the pecessary authority was issued on the 16th Instant (November)." It w;is decided to write asking if any provision had been made for metalling She road. DAVIS STREET INTERSECTION. A letter had been sent on behalf of the felub to the Wellington City Traffic Injspector informing him that at a meeting 6f the executive of "the club: recently a jreport had been received from the club's Service officer to the effect that during the rush hours it was very important that the traffic should be regulated at the Davis street intersection. The service officer had stated that many accidents had come under his notice recently at that point, and the club suggested the advisability «f a pointsman being placed on duty at that point during the rush hours, say, between 8 and 9 a.m. and 4.30 and 5.30 p.m.

To this a reply was received from the Traffic Inspector that, "though at certain hours of the day this is a busy intersection, I regret there are no funds available to provide another control officer at Davis stieet."