The attention of readers is called to the letter in today's correspondence columns from Mr. E. C. Baker, Assistant Commissioner (Traffic) of the Shanghai Municipal Police on the subject of Christmas shopping. He asks that the public shall cooperate with the Police during the festive season in order to minimize traffic congestion which is inevitable at such a time. It is desired that strict attention should be paid to the regulations relating to stopping and waiting, that cars should draw up fo.the kerb to permit passengers to alight, and not on the outside of other vehicles already drawn up to the kerb, and that waits on the main roads should not be longer than absolutely necessary. The concentration of so many vehicles south of the Soochow Creek, which would normally be operating in Hongkew and Yangtszepoo, has brought about very considerable congestion. That is magnified during the holiday shopping season and may be expected to increase as the day pass towards Christmas. The Police have in the past been very considerate of the Shanghai motorist, and liberties are taken on the streets which would not be tolerated in other cities, especially that of stopping practically in the middle of the road to permit passengers to enter or alight from cars. The result is that in many cases the whole of the traffic behind the offending vehicle is obstructed, delays are created and the traffic stream reduced to a muddle. It would be a very small tribute to the excellent work which the Police have been doing during the last seventeen arduous months, if the small degree of consideration for which Mr. Baker asks could be accorded them. Holidays mean for them much extra work, and their labours would be considerably eased if the travelling public would see to it that they on their part contributed as much as possible to the smooth operation of Shanghai's very troublesome traffic.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.