TRAFFIC HOLD-UP

Waikato Times, Volume 119, Issue 19893, 23 May 1936, Page 9

TRAFFIC HOLD-UP

MAIN STREET CONFUSION. VICTORIA STREET SCENES. TRAIN CAUSES CONGESTI'ON. ._._—- lomulublo scenes of tratl'io condo-tion wore wltnesoed In Victoria Street this morning when line. at hundreds of cars were brought otntlonary during the pung- o' a long 'troln across the railway crossing. Over five minutes was required for the oixty trucks to pan and the llno of waiting our: extended n for south as the traffic bridge. Several motorists broke away from the congestion and travelled through the side streets to Ward Street only to find it impossible to enter Victoria Street. For nearly half-an-hour cars proceeded by feet at a time. and the ingenuity of driver: was fully taxed to proceed even at a snail‘s pace. The majority of the cars were proceeding towards the course at Te Rape and the blockage meant a delay of from twenty minutes to halt-an-hour. The hold-up was not without its humour and stalling engines and the blaring horns of impatient drivers cre—ated frequent diversion. At one stage a light car lost a. wheel. causing a further hindrance to the tram-c. Police Augmented. Cars were lined two and three deep over the full length of Victoria Street and the services of an augmented iorce or police had to be requisitioned to control the traffic at intersections. ilait—an-hour alter the train which caused the obstruction had passed, the position was little changed. a line or cars two-deep extending from the runway crossing to beyond the chief ‘post-omce. North of the railway line there was a continual stream or tramc to the racecourse with only a few} feet between each vehicle. i Victoria Street was no place for the "jay—walker“ and it was only when the blockage was complete and the traffic, brought to a stop that it wasi possible for pedestrians to make a crossing. it was no unusual spectacle in see a small party nlarnoncd in the centre or ihn street anxiously seeking a break in the line of cars in order to make a dash for the footpath and Iccurily. “THE GREATEST YET." I ABNORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES. 1 COMMENT BY MAYOR. Describing this morning's blockage as the greatest in the history of the bOTOUSh. the Mayor. Mr J. R. Fow, elated that although iramc jams or a less serious nature had occurred in the past. the congestion to-day had been hrnught about by abnormal circumsiancea. The Police had undertaken the task ot’ restriction in the absence 01' a senior borough traillo inspector. “it seems merely to be beating the air to agitate for the elimination of the railway crossing." .\lr Few added. The Railways Donal-intuit has spent some thousands of pounds in strengthening ihc hrithzc iiscil‘ and there appears little likrlihoud of t‘urlhel- eXpendituru brim: anihoriscd to replace the crosslug iii‘ an overhead bridge or subway.