When is a crossing not a crossing? Leaving the chicken out of it — when it does not comply with the law.
In the recent hoo-ha over some coloured stripes, commentators have referred to that piece of road as a crossing. By inference, it appears they also believe all the other reddish bits in the main street are crossings. I must point out they are NOT.
These different coloured sections and the bits of footpath protruding into said roadway have no legal status whatsoever. While they LOOK like places where one might cross, and the sidewalk sticking out visually encourages that — I repeat, they are NOT official pedestrian crossings.
Pedestrian crossings must comply with legislation as to design, form and function — even though the NZ Transport Agency seems to have washed its hands of what councils do with their CBDs.
I well recall the late Harold Williams (long-time city engineer for Gisborne) voicing his opposition to pedestrian crossings on the grounds of safety. He firmly believed crossings gave a false sense of security — that somehow cars would magically stop when someone stepped out on the white stripes.
