Council To Investigate Report About Taupo Traffic Dangers

Taupo Times, Volume VI, Issue 286, 1 August 1957, Page 1

Council To Investigate Report About Taupo Traffic Dangers

D.affic hazards loomed large at the last meeting' oi Taupo Borough Council, whio!! decided to have the works committee confer with the traffie officer, Mr J. D. Marshall and ma^e 1 b^joxiimendations to the council. Among other things for investigation were the sugp'e-stions iliat che two trees outside the council offices should be removed, parking of vehicles outside the with sMek1'" 1 ^ Spe area silould be barred, and all lights along the lakefront road fitted

Mr Marshall laid eniphasis upon the dangers brought by a clutter of motor vehicles outside the po.st office — some of them parked even round the corner — and urged the council to take steps to minimise those dangers. "I think the most important part of this report is the list of hazards ; it takes a bit of thinking over," said Or J. E. Barton. Cr C. S. Currie : I think this is a very welcome •report, I11 passing, if we go in for stricter parking, it may be timely to put in meters to get some revenue. "Whai I appreciate is that the department, through its officers, is keen to do something. Our experience in the past has been that the chief inspector was opposed to restrietions upon pedestrians and traffie. "It is refresliiiig to see that the Trans]K/rl Department is not putting tip obstructions to our requiring some form of tighter control where these h:; exist. If we can do something about these iiow, it will be wliat \ve have wanted for some time." Regarding lights, Cr J. L. Burge said there was no doubt tliat lights were needed at each end of the bridge over the dam at the northern entrance

to the town, and Cr J. M. Stanley said every oue would agree that the light at the bottom of Waipahihi Avenue from the southern end was glaring and confusing, Traffie Officer Marshall, in reply to a question eoncerning Ihe installation of lights at pedestrian-crossings, said it: was the usual practice to suspend wires across and have lights at ihe centre. "The lighting on the lakefront road, especially 011 a wet night, is very distracting; those blue lights are very bad, and disiraction is one of the greatest causes of road accidents," lie said. "Ail the lights along the lakefront road need shielding, but the one at Waipahihi Avenue is particularly bad." When Cr Barton asked Mr Marshall if shields would "take away the desired purpose of tlie lights," Mr Marshall replied : "No, I don't think so. Lights are not meairt to show threequariers of a inile away. I don't think shields would have any ill effect 011 wliat you are trying to achieve." Cr R. A. McMillan said he thought that ihe engineer and Mr Marshall should investigate tlie lighting question and report to the council. "This is a very realistic report, by the traffie officer, and I think we should appreciate it and go into it very thoroughly," he said. I