MANY ADVANTAGES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26616, 12 November 1947, Page 6

MANY ADVANTAGES

FIRE-PLUG STANDARDS " Fire-plug standards erected on the edge of the footpath are easily seen by motorists and need little maintenance,” said Mr P. W. Breen at the monthly meeting of the executive of the Otago Automobile Association last night. Mr W. J. Mclnnes was in the chair. " The superintendent of. the F Fire Brigade, Mr F. C. Laidlaw,-. is in support of this type, which is extensively used in the United States,” said Mr Breen. “In some places the present plugs are so far out on the road that a car can park inside them. Painting these plugs is not satisfactory, as repainting is necessary every three or four Weeks.” Mr Breen moved that the secretary write to the Dunedin City Council pointing out the ..advantages of fire-plug standards, but withdrew the motion when Mr Harre said that no reply had been received from the council to a letter sent after the last meeting. In this the council had been asked to mark the plugs in the manner adopted in Christchurch. Mr J. L. Passmore said that the cost of the new fire-plugs would be about £2OOO, and other members of the executive opposed the suggestion because they claimed the standards would be obstructions to pedestrians. “ Keep Clear ” Signs “ Traffic congestion in Dunedin is hardly Improved by ‘ Keep Clear ’ signs erected in front of business premises,” said Mr R. O. Talbot. "Within 100 yards in Moray place parking space for seven cars is denied' by three taxi stands and prohibited areas on each side of the gateway to First Church. This might have been necessary when parking was allowed on both sides of the street, but there Is plenty of room now. It. is a silly regulation,” he declared. ” The minister of First Church obtained the permission of the City Council to paint those signs, as he claimed there was insufficient room at the gateway,’ said the secretary, Mr P. F. Harre, and the taxi firm had nowhere else to go. No one can paint * keep clear ’ signs without the permission of the council and they are a 24-hour prohibition. Mr Passmore said that he had parked over one such sign outside business premises in the city, and had been requested to move by a man standing in the doorway. On consulting a traffic inspector, however, he was told he could, stay where he was. Vehicle Testing The South Island Motorists’ Union wrote saying that the Commissioner of Transport had been approached regarding the congestion at testing stations when motorists were applying for the issue of warrants of fitness. The commissioner replied that peak periods tended to disappear quickly. . . An executive member said that he had recently visited the Dunedin testing station, and was the sixth in a queue of cars. There seemed to be plenty of attendants, and he went through quickly. “ I didn’t get my warrant, either, ’ he added. • , ■ , Vehicular classes for the next show were considerably extended, and good entries had been received, stated a letter from the Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Society. In response to a request for judges for these classes, Messrs G. T. Anderson and A. L. Scobie were appointed.