MOTOR-CAR PARKS

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 135, 4 December 1929, Page 13

MOTOR-CAR PARKS

ATTENDANCE PROBLEM

SYSTEMS DISCUSSED

Letters throwing interesting sidelights on the difficulties with regard to car attendants for parked motorcars was received from," among others, tho solicitors to the Royal Automobile Club, Sydney, and tho National Roads Motorists' Association, by the Wellington Automobile Club last night. The letters stated that no scheme had been evolved for protecting cars at parking areas in. Sydney, "because tho streets were too narrouv There was a parking area in Macquarrie street, which was a wide, thoroughfare, but there was no official car attendant, There were a good many self-appointed attendants, however, and they had proved to bo such a nuisance that the motorists would be only too glad to get rid ot them. If a motorist failed to tip the attendants he would find that his ear had developed a puncture in his absence, or that the paintwork had been scratched; or, as had happened in some cases, that the fuse had been extracted from the ear, "with the rssult that the motor would not mote." me opinion was expressed that, unless legislation was passed to prohibit any but the officially-appointed car attend-' ants looking after ears, no system of protectmg cars could be successful. Mr. A. J. Paterson said they had, he thought, a satisfactory system in Melbourne, where attendants were appointed by the City Council, but he did not Anon- that any responsibility was taken with regard to any property stolen from cars.

Mr. li. A. Batt (president) said tiiat that responsibility was the crux ot the whole matter. In Sydney there ivere insurance companies which insured motorists for a small parking-fee «P to £5 for anything stolen from their t-ars. Die tickets were dated, and the insurance was only good for the day or. issue. J COUNSEL'S OPINION. « Ml!i° soX\ c\ tov t0 the Wellington Automobile Club wrote that he did not think the City Council would prohibit men appointed by the club acting as caretakers of ears at parking-places. He did not think that the council could in any case enforce such a prohibition. It could prohibit tho club appointing men _to direct or control traffic at a parking-place, but could not object to tno club placing men on patrol duty to look after cars at parking-places. I understand," he added, "that the club proposes to authorise men to watch cars on parking-places without tee or reward from the club, and that tho men should be recompensed by a purely voluntary contribution from any individual who cared to engage the services of tho men. The association could protect itself against a claim tor damages or loss by issuing a ticket with bold printing upon it calling attention to the condition upon "which the ticket was issued, rendering tho club immune from liability. But that would not altogether prevent an action being taken for negligence." He added that it the club desired to adopt a system of night caretakers approved by the club, to be placed upon parking-places under the authority of the club, a man must not take over cars, either by giving directions where to park them or as to the method of parking them, or in any way indicate that he was in control of tho area unless the driver was given a ticket of which the motorist signed the butt.

The matter was held over for further consideration when more information is available.