TRAFFIC MEN’S RISKS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 747, 21 August 1929, Page 18

TRAFFIC MEN’S RISKS

STANDING BETWEEN TRAMS RISK FROM WIDER CARS Fearing danger from the increased width of the new tramcars now under construction by the Transport Board the City Council traffic department wrote to the board yesterday stating that traffic men on point duty are subject to no small danger from the present cars. The new vehicles will be Gin wider, and this meant, said the department, that a very real element of danger would be present when trams were simultaneously passing a traffic man at intersections. This was more pronounced when the men were wearing their greatcoats. The transport engineer, Mr. F. E. de Guerrier, pointed out that as the track centres were 10ft 6in wide on account of the presence of centrepoles, there was considerably more room between passing trams than was the case in many other cities where the tram-centres were not more than Sft 6in wide. Mr. E. J. Phelan said that it was a general practice for people to stand between passing tramcars and considerable danger existed from this habit already. He thought that the time was coming shortly when the city would have to resort to automatic signalling for traffic purposes in the busier localities. It was decided to take no action.