PROBLEM OF SHOW TRAFFIC

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 25, 22 October 1937, Page 4

PROBLEM OF SHOW TRAFFIC

Officials Task in Avoiding "Jams" 3000 PRIVATE CARS • Approximately 3000 private vehicles were parlced in the Tomoana showgrounds yesterday for "People's Day" of the Spring Show and the eontrol ot this vehicular traffie provided one of the biggest problems involved in rogard to the shcw. Apart from the men empldyed in tho actual parking of the cars and other vehicles in the grounds themselves, over 20 men were engaged in controlling the traffie to and from the showgrounds. „ A deeided improvement ia the show traffie was noted yesterday. It was obvious that the new system . evolved for the minimising of cross traffie on Karamu road by the diversion of traffie to Elwood road was a step infthe right direction, and, though not perfect. it certainly avoided the terrifio congestion of traffie that was noted last year aird at the Royal Show. It is believed that the show traffie was a record, being even greater than for the Royal Show two years ago; but officers in charge state that generally the traffie was well behaved and, though the eystem was new, it worked adrairably, the flow of traffie being better and sraoother than on previous occasiona. The peak period was between 4 and 6 o'clock in the afternoon when the greater majority of the people desired to leave tho grounds. Yesterday there was only one small traffie "jam" in th# grounds and this was occasioned when all four exits to Elwood road were being used to their f ull capaci(jr. Those in charge promptly relieved the pressure - by diverting a section of the traffie along Karamu road and the delay caueed waa of only a few minutes duration, Commenting upon this "jam" oue traffie inspector said that it was caused really by the parking of cars in Elwoorl road. ' ' There were four streams of outgoing traffie entering this road at th# one time and the parked cars caused % congestion," he said. "Next year I anticipate that there will be no parking of cars near the exists in this road and. I am sure that thia will still further improve the system that was tried out yesterday. ' ' One feature of the show traffie vai the big improvement noted in the paasenger vehicle traffie. Taxis and busse# were enabled to proceed along Karamu road in much faster time than hitherto 'and wero enabled to discharge their loads more expeditiously. From th# viewpoint of both operators and pa#sengers this was most desirable and was certainly fully appreciated. Shortly before noon traffie inspector# were. given an anxious few moment#. This was the peak period for traffie to tho show and the stream of cars wa# probabiy the longest seen in this district, The ears mounted up at an everinCreasing rate until there was a pro* cession from the ehowgrdund gates t«i St. Aubyn street and fears were enter* tained that there would be a big " jam" at the intersection of Karamu road and Heretaunga street. Just when inspectors were "about to divert .. a section of the procession, it accelerated and cleared itself. Oa# inotorist who linked up with this procession just before it commenced t# move off reported that it took him 23 minutes to get his car into th# grounds. Considering the circuinstances this period was not long.

A noticeable feature of the traffie generally yesterday was that it wa# kept constantly on the move, and, though at times the pace was xather slow, the journey to or from town wa# accomplished in quite good time. Traffie inspectors — and they cam# from Hastings, Napier, the Hawke'# Bay County and the Main Highway# Board — k6pt a strict watch on motorist* who showed an inclinatidn towards impatience, and their sitens were heard fairly frequently warning motorists to keep well over to the correct side of the road, and generally keeping traffie on the move.