Gisborne Traffic is Getting Busier

Some months ago, "Photo News" offered the Gisborne Road Safety Council a page or two in which to illustrate some of the traffic faults most common to the Gisborne scene. In collaboration with the Gisborne Car Club and the chief traffic officer, Mr. B. M. Boyle, it is proposed, in the interests of road safety, to print occasional features on breaches of the road code. The first of these pictures appear on the next two pages.

Pictures on this page were shot last Tuesday through the windscreen of a car driven through the heart of the city just after midday. They illustrate more than any words could do the growth and density of traffic in Gisborne. A few figures emphasise the point. Five years ago the number of motor vehicle registrations here was 5925. This year they totalled 8598. A Transport Department investigation suggests that there are between 12,000 and 13,000 bicycles in Gisborne, which is thought to be the highest per capita ratio in New Zealand.

In discussing local traffic problems, Mr Boyle drew attention to the tendency of the rivers to channel traffic along well-defined routes. This created traffic nerve-centres, notably at the Gladstone Road intersections with Reads Quay Peel Street, and Roebuck Road.

But over the last year, traffic generally was better, ne said. There had been a notable decrease in the accident rate, thanks to the introduction of compulsory stops. As an example, last year there were eight accidents involving personal injury at Common Shelton's corner, and 13 at the Opera House corner. This year, with the stops installed, there had been none at either corner.

×

 

• 

×

 

• 

×

 

•