New traffic bylaws raise concerns

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 9, Issue 438, 2 June 1992, Page 3

New traffic bylaws raise concerns

At last month's meeting of the Ruapehu District Council a somewhat controversial new Traffic Bylaw was placed before councillors for consideration... controversial because after lengthy discussion and argument, it was decided that more time should be allowed to study it in detail before a decision was made. The aim of the proposed Bylaw is to provide Ruapehu District Council with the power to act expeditiously on a number of matters relating to parking of vehicles and other traffic on roads or in public places. Some of the recommendations can be summarised as follows: • Vehicle owners to provide off-street parking. Immobile vehicles and accident-damaged vehicles to be removed from the road within 48

hours. • Vehicles or objects not be displayed for sale on roads or in public places. • A vehicle emitting offensive odours (such as an offal truck from an abattoir) should not be parked in a street or public place. • The right to restrict the class of vehicle allowed to park in a given area. • Taxis to operate only from a Taxi Stand. • Vehicles to park only with the spaces marked (for parking) • Vehicles not to be repaired on a road with the exception of allowing repairs to a vehicle so that it can be removed from the road. • Provides for Council to establish safety zones for pedestrians in the middle of the road. There were a number of other recommendations

relating to obstructions and property entrances and exits to and from a public carriageway. Councillors agreed they needed more time to study the implications of these recommendations because many of them may not be 'new' in that sense but already incorporated in the present Traffic Law as it affects all vehicle owners. Mayor Carrick Workman asked councillors to look more carefully at the proposals before next month's meeting because 'several valid points of concern have arisen." General Manager Cliff Houston explained that while these Bylaws wouldn't be applied in every case and exceptional circumstances, the Council must be given the "teeth" to enforce them when necessary.