THURSDAY, MAY 1, 1924. THE ROADS.

Putaruru Press, Volume II, Issue 29, 1 May 1924, Page 2

THURSDAY, MAY 1, 1924. THE ROADS.

THE strike has had the effect of making the residents of the Auckland province realise the penalty of bad roads. Had only the main thoroughfares been in good order a considerable portion of the inconvenience of the strike would have been minimised. The best roads could not have made the public totally independent of the railways, but they would have permitted easier and more rapid communication between the various districts, the fuller use of motor lorry service for the transport of goods, and a considerable saving in charges. The possibilities of motor transport have been fully demonstrated by the strike, but the first essential for the use of this method is good roads. To the various authorities who are in control of the roads the strike and its consequent change of method of transport should provide several subjects for consideration. The first is whether the standard of road being laid down by many county councils is good enough? There are many sections of roads which were considered good, but a week’s traffic of fast running cars and heavy lorries has raised the doubt in the minds of observant people as to how long the road could stand the strain, or what would be the cost of maintenance? It may be said that the present are abnormal times for road traffic. Which is true; but it must be remembered that the abnormal of to-day may be the normal of ten years’ time. Closer settlement of the country districts and the increase of production are going to throw an ever increasing volume of traffic upon the roads. The loads carried by motor lorries show a pronounced tendency to increase in weight. As the sand road proved insufficient and had to give way to the metalled road may it not be that the present day thoroughfare may shortly be found unable to stand up to the wear and tear ? It again becomes a question of first and last costs. Another point is the method of construction. Sections of roads which have been metalled comparatively recently with some four or six inches of metal, blinded, but not rolled, have had to bear an increased volume of heavy traffic. Already ruts have made their appearance and in places the metal has been almost pressed out of sight. Obviously that road would not stand heavy traffic, except at an increased maintenance cost. This will raise the issue of whether it is not preferable to pay interest on extra capital cost rather than higher rates for maintenance.