HEAVY MOTOR TRAFFIC.

Shannon News, 13 April 1923, Page 4

HEAVY MOTOR TRAFFIC.

AUTOMOBILE CLUB AND RESTRICTION OF ROADS. “Unless motorists wake up and make themselves heard they will soon be finding flic roads blocked with broken bridges in every direction, ’ ’ said Mr C. M. Banks, president of the Wellington Automobile Club, at the monthly meeting of the club. The matter arose on a request by the New Zealand Automobile Club for the views of motor associations on the maximum size of motor lorries that should be allowed, with a view to milking a Dominion demand by motorists for legislation. The committee, in reply, affirmed its previous view that no lorry exceeding ten tons in weight laden should be allowed on the roads, and on roads under 25 feet in width no vehicle should be allowed having a greater over-all width laden than 8 feet.

It was pointed out: that the Newman bridge, which collapsed on Sunday week, blocking- the main road from the Wairarapa to Manawatu and Hawke’s Bay, and making a deviation of four miles necessary, had gone with a load of 7 to 8 tons passing over it. On the main Palmerston road the Waitoliu bridge was closed for repair in .consequence of damage by heavy traffic, and for several years past there has been an unrepaired broken bridge in the Daiinevirke-Ilawke’s Bay main road, via Norsewood. The committee is of opinion that the Government should be pressed to do something without delay, as a. collapse of a bridge between, say, Upper Hutt and Fcatlierston, or between Waikanae and Levin might result in the complete blockage of road (nrfiic to the Wairarapa or Palmerston, as the case might be. and judging by the county council’s anxiety about their bridges there is every prospect of more collapses at no distant date. The Makara County Council advised the club that it ivas considering forming by-laws restricting the loads on mo-tor-lorries, and had also requested the police to proceed with the utmost vigilance against negligent motor-lorry drivers, and particularly to take steps to enforce tlie law as to lights on vehicles.