TRAFFIC CONTROL

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 87, 9 October 1931, Page 8

TRAFFIC CONTROL

CITY COUNCIL DISCUSSION

NO FINALITY REACHED For nearly an hour the City Council last evening discussed control of traffic in the new Mount Victoria tunnel, which is to be opened on Monday. The outcome of the discussion was that the regulations, as proposed, were considerably altered, and the council referred the matters back to the Bylaws Committee for a report. A suggestion by the Mayor (Mr. T. C. A. Hislop) that horse-drawn vehicles should not be allowed to use the tunnel was not favoured by the council as a whole, and the Mayor did not press his amendment. A clause prohibiting the riding of bicycles through the tunnel likewise was not favoured, and another clause, giving traffic inspectors power to commander a vehicle to tow a disabled vehicle also did not meet with approval. COMMITTEE'S PROPOSALS. The Bylaws Committee recommended that authority be granted for a bylaw to be drafted on the following basis: — (a) Vehicles prohibited from using tunnel: Wagons carrying petrol or other dangerous goods; steam-propelled vehicles; metal-tired vehicles not drawn by horses. Push bicycles not to be ridden through the tunnel, but may be walked through on the footway. (c) Vehicles in the tunnel to be kept at least 50ft apart. (d) The speed limit to be 20 miles per hour. (c) Overtaking or passing vehicles proceeding in tho same direction to be prohibited. (f) Each vehicle to keep on the left side of the central white line painted on the roadway. (g) Engine to be stopped when vehicle is stationary in the tunnel. (h) No repairs or adjustments to 4 vehicles or tires to be made in tunnel. Broken-down vehicles to be towed out. (i) Traffic inspectors to have power to commandeer vehicle for purposes of towing disabled vehicle. (j) Headlights not to be used full power but to be dimmed. The views of councillors on the proposals, as a result of the discussion, are:— (a) "Steam-propelled vehicles" to be replaced by "'vehicles'burning coal or coke." (b) Deleted. . (c) Motor-vehicles in the tunnel to be kept at least 50ft apart. (d) The maximum speed for motorvehicles to bo 20 m.p.h. (c) Deleted. (f) Deleted. . (g) No alteration, (h) No alteration, (i) Deleted, (j) No alteration. HORSE-DRAWN VEHICLES. In a report on horse-drawn traffic, the Town Clerk stated:— "Tho City Engineer states that the tunnel route between Courtenay place and Kilbirnio Post Office is .4 miles shorter than via Constable street, and between Courtenay place and HataitaiWaitoa road junction is 1.6 miles shorter. Consequently a motor vehicle should save 1.2 minutes and 4.8 minutes respectively by going through the tunnel. Assuming that a horse vehicle going at 4 miles per hour enters the tunnel all the inotor-vehiclea following it will be slowed up, so that 44 vehicles will take 6 minutes each to pass through instead of 1.2 minutes, a loss of 4.8 minutes each. Therefore, the motor-vehicle going to Kilbirnie (Post Office would take 3.6 minutes longer than if it had gone via Constable street, and the motor-vehicle going to Waitoa road would have saved no time. "The annual cost of the tunnel (including interest, sinking fund, maintenance, and operation) will be approximately £13,400, or £37 per day. "If a speed of 20 m.p.h. is insisted on bo that motor-vehicles will be certain of making a saving in time, probably 5000 will use the tunnel per day in normal times, which represents a cost of l|d per vehicle trip, but if tho risk of being slowed down to 4 or 5 miles per hour exists, motor-vehicles will keep to the open roads, where they can go at 25 miles per hour, and as the number using the tunnel falls so tho cost per vehicle will rise. "Regarding ventilation, the 44 vehicles mentioned above would be in the tunnel five times as long as they would be had no horse vehicle been in front of them: the quantities of poisonous gas given off under those circumstances are correspondingly increased with much greater risk to human beings and increased expenditure in operating the fans, which is a heavy item. The number of motorvehicles likely to use the tunnel is about 5000, and the number of horse vehicles will probably . not exceed 40 per day: to allow a* few vehicles to nullify the possible saving for the large majority takes a lot of justifying."' In opening the discussion on the recommendations, Councillor H. A. Huggins said that the recommendations had been made at a conference with the City Engineer and the Chief Traffic Inspector. Councillor, W. Appleton said he objected to the prohibition of steam-pro-pelled vehicles. 6 The Mayor said the clause wanted re-drafting; no doubt the committee wished to prohibit heavy steam-driven vehicles. In reference to clause (i) the Mayor suggested that in the absence of j martial law it was a question as to whether it was legal. Councillor C. H. Chapman moved that the clause be struck out. I Councillor W. J. Gaudin seconded the motion and said that the fewer prohibitions there were at the outset, the better. The clause was deleted. The Mayor said that with the exception of one thing, he favoured the proposals. Horse-drawn traffic would slow down the traffic; and he suggested that at this \ stage such vehicles should be prohibited. He moved that horse-drawn vehicles be prohibited. Councillor J. N. Wallace seconded the amendment. OBJECTION RAISED. Councillor Forsyth strongly objected to the prohibition of horse-drawn traffic, and suggested that a check should be taken after the tunnel had been opened for somo time to see the extent of the horse-drawn traffic. The regulations, he considered, appeared to have been drawn up in a hurry. What was understood when tho tunnel was first proposed was a general traffic tunnel, and the estimated extent of the horse-drawn traffic "to hold up the 5000 motor-cars" was only a wild surmise. He moved that the clause be referred back to the committee. Councillor Meadowcroft said it would be a hardship to many small tradesmen to prohibit them from using the tunnel with their horse-drawn carts. Councillor W. H. Bennett said that the ratepayers had equal rights to use the tunnel. He did not think it would be fair to prohibit the City Council milk carts from going through the tunnel. Councillor Huggins said it had to be

remembered that times had changed since the tunnel was first proposed. To hold up the immense volume of motor traffic by horse-drawn traffic was the height of absurdity. Tho regulations had been framed on those in operation in some of the world's biggest cities. Councillor C. H. Chapman said that two or three months' experience would show how the position might be handled. Too much importance was being given to tho delay that horse-drawn vehicles might occasion. He thought the Council would be wise in allowing horse-drawn vehicles to go through; at least, till some alteration was found necessary. They were meeting trouble half-way,, said Councillor R. Semple. Originally there was never a suggestion that the tunnel should be open only to motor traffic. It was wholly unreasonable to suggest that any section of the community should be prevented from using it. He was certain that with taxes piling up in years to come there would be more horses in use. The Mayor: "And fewer tunnels." Councillor Somple: "I don't think there are any more to drive. We seem to have about reached tho limit." Councillor W. J. Gaudin said the council would find out as time progressed just what regulations would be necessary, * The Mayor said he did not wish to press his amendment. He received the report that afternoon, and it appeared to be sound. Councillor Forßyth: "From the motorists' point of view." The Mayor said the thing would work itself out, and ho thought in time horse-drawn vehicles would have to bo prohibited. Slow moving traffic would destroy the utility of the tunnel. With the consent of Councillor Wallace, the Mayor withdrew his amendment, CYCLISTS. Councillor Appleton considered that it was ridiculous to expect cyclists to push their bicycles through the tunnel. On his motion the clause was deleted. The deletion of the clauses prohibiting passing and requiring vehicles to keep on the left side of the centre line was moved by Councillor J. Burns and carried. "It appears to me the council does not want any regulations," remarked Councillor Huggins. "If you give the right to pass in the tunnel, you will have accidents," said the Major. Councillor Chapman: "The idea is that motor-cars should have the right to pass horse-drawn vehicles." Councillor R. Semple: "Cars should not have the right to pass each other." The reason for the proviso regarding the distance between vehicles was to prevent more cars using the tunnel than, was safe, having: regard to exhaust gases, said the Mayor. At busy hours traffic inspectors would be'on duty to see that the safe volume of traffic was not exceeded. After further discussion, the council approved of tho report as amended, and referred the matters struck out to tho Bylaws Committee.