Pointed reference was made at the annual meeting of the Automobile Club of China yesterday to the deterioration in traffic conditions not only in the foreign areas but also in those areas outside which are passing through a period of jurisdictional change. It was stated that conditions are unsatisfactory in the Settlement and the French Concession, but are worse outside owing to the conflict of jurisdictions which are in process of readjustment. Of course, there are many factors attaching to the situation. The population of Shanghai has more than doubled within the last two or three years, and the concentration of industrial and residential interests in a very small and packed area means the restriction of traffic circulation and the unavoidable congestion of the streets and thoroughfares. In the western district, the situation is described as particularly bad with vehicles, especially of the man-drawn type wandering about the roads uncontrolled and undisciplined, and the unfortunate dual system of policing being unable at present to exercise much control The increased volume of traffic created by the expansion of industry in that district has aggravated the situation and the present suggests no immediate improvement. Talking broadly, however, there should be prospects of improvement once the modus vivendi between the Shanghai Municipal Council and the Chinese authorities is implemented. It will take some time before the new joint police force is created for there are other questions beyond the mere recruitment and. organization of the force. Once the force has been established and the various problems connected with it have
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.