KEEP TO THE LEFT.

Shannon News, 20 July 1923, Page 4

KEEP TO THE LEFT.

RULE FOR PEDESTRIANS. DECISION OF MUNICIPAL CONFERENCE. NEED FOR UNIFORMITY. CHRISTCHURCH, [Last Night. A communication frbm the New Zealand Automobile Association was submitted to the Municipal Association <4f New Zealand at its;conference today, suggesting that there should be uniform by-laws requiring pedestrians to keep to the left of the footpaths. The New Zealfuid* Counties’ Assoelation' also wrote, stating that they were in favour of the Associations Suggestion. The chairman (Mr. J. A. Fleshei) stated that Christchurch had a by-law requiring pedestrians to keep to the left, but if was one of the biggest nuisances with which the council had to jieal. To enforce the by-law, the council would require an army of unl--formed inspectors. Mr. G. feaildon (Auckland) said, Auckland had a by-flaw requiring pedestrians to keep to th© right. In , Wellington, the by-law'required people to keep to the left, as was the ,-) case in Christchurch. He thought there should be uniformity of by-laws ! relating to the subject (and Auckland was inclined ..to com© in with Christ- *' church and Wellington. - >

Mr. H. B. Tapley (Dunedin) said thap as a conference, he thought they should affirm the prinicple of either; keeping to the right or to the left. He moved that the conference affirm the principle of a uniform by-law, and that it should be included in the Muni-' cipal Corporations Act. Mr. W. H. Nicholson pointed out that the Automobile Association haa every reason in asking if or a uniform by-law, to force pedestrians to keep to the left. One prominent ciPzen had lost his lif© through stepping off the footpath in a direction the same as that in which he had happened to, be proceeding. Besides 1 providing for th© safety of the general public such a measure would relieve motorists of no / small amount of responsibility. Mr. Tapley's motion was carried and! it was further decided that the rul© or; the footpath should be to keep to-the, left.