CROWDED SYDNEY.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 June 1924, Page 4

CROWDED SYDNEY.

TiiK dHAri-rr cm»jsi.i-:m. SYDXKY. June •”>. Oi.e of the I'i.igesl lO'oldems in Sydney to-day and it Incoming more dilfienlt •.■very day is that of eii'eetively eont i o'iing the l raffia v,hi;h surges innmgh the city'- congested streets. Ii i- onlv after the theatre at night that silcm .* -lead, down ii-oii this old crowded ;i!y. Ami then it is a lull only for a few horns. Alim si with the hri "k of day there is cm a more the tramp of lc.-l. the tlnoh aid rush of early train-, and in an hour or two. when the metropolis ha- rubbed the -leap out of il- eyes, the tiallie swells and rolls fitll-voliitlied down the narrow st reels.

Almost countless suggestions which have come before a big conlerenre which law met to deal with the problem arc to he codified by a committee, ft has been suggested that a Traflie Hoard appointed bv the Cnveininont sliould take over full control of the city traffic; hut until the City Council adopts tcedit rccomnicndations for widening

(vrtain streets and oponinK up now tratlic outlets it is difficult to see iimv tln* position ran lie effectively met. Tim trouble is. it is likely to lie a. deal winse in a lew years. It. is reckoned, tin- iiNiame, that within a year 8(100 more motor-ear.-, will lie struggling for space in Sydney's narrow .streets, and that within another two years the number of ear* in tlie streets will have doubled itM'lf. And before many years the < ity railway will be limning eonnt-le-s thousands of people into all parts of the city at every hour of the day. .lay-walkers—fedest;iaus v.ho cross the crowded sheets at any angle and at any point—add to the ditlicidiy, by in. ioifct'ing with vehicular traffic. Jaywalking. as seen in Sydney to-day. is said tn he almost unknown in cities abroad. A (tain, motor-cars seem to he allowed to stand in the streets, when and where they like, for horns at a stretch. The tuun traffic also accentuates the problem. Tu the last tweiity ycars the number of passengers carried annually on Sydney's trams has incroascd from 92.303,000 to 310,808.984, whieh was the actual number transported last year alone. The George Street line alone serves 29 populous dLstriets; and the Klizdioth street line 20 big districts. Although Sydney's popvlation is just over a million, it is calculated hv exports that approximately 2.2 .',0.0 00 trips are. reckoning the return journeys, and the heavy tourist traffic, made on the trains, trams and buses every day.