HEAVY TRAFFIC ON ROADS.

Shannon News, 14 June 1921, Page 3

HEAVY TRAFFIC ON ROADS.

DISCUSSED BY COUNTY COUNCIL. 1 At the meeting of the Horowhenua | County Council on Saturday, an ap- ! plication from a lorry owner for per- ' mission to erect skids on the Foxton road to enable him to undertake the carnage oi logs, created a discussion ' on the effect oi heavv motor traffic on : different county ro&ds. j The chairman (Cr. Monk) referred i to the roads which had been used by • motor lorries, which had been put I into an awiul mess, and the Council ' would have to act in some, way to 1 protect them. The Engineer stated that the Public Works Act gave the Council power : to stop heavy traffic during the next j three months. [ Cr. Harkness said if a heavy levy j wore put on the lorries it would provide some revenue for the upkeep of the roads. ! Cr. Broadbelt considered it was time the Council revised its by-laws to meet this sort of traffic. Cr. Harkness said the lorry owners complained that the Council was interfering with their industry, and say that there was no initiative in the Council to meet the position. The chairman: There is plenty of initiative outside by the way tbe .county roads are being cut up. He contended that whatever tax the Council would put on the lorries would not compensate for the damage done, On Friday afternoon he went over th® Tarama Road, which had been used hv two lorries in carting logs to the Levin sawmille, and he was confident it would take £2OO to put it into the state of repair it was in before the ‘ lorries started. Going further on to Gladstone Road, £2OOO would not repair it. Cr. Harkness said it was true only two lorries were used on the roads referred to, but if aJicense of £25 were made, there were large numbers of lorries which would have to pay, and thus provide some revenue for upkeep. The chairman asked was the traffic worth while, seeing the damage that was resulting. He suggested that there should be a limit on the weight of loads, and the speed at which the vehicles travelled. It was the speed as well as the loads that knocked the roads to pieces. The discussion ended without any definite action being taken.