5


 that the pontoon bridge was not to be used by ntrians,

put up in the vicinity of the pontoon bridge However, the

Police increased their patrols with the object of keeping the

people from crossing the bridge and from annoyin g workmen.

14. Police patrols wele by no means continuous regular.

Police on other duties wore instructed to give an, eye at the

tcrapornry pontoon bridge, one set of pclice;nn to deal .rith

traffic and another set to deal with pedestrians crossing.

It:.nust, however, be borne in mind that the barges were not

always connected across the river. At nights they were swung

apart, so there was no possibility of pedestrians crossing;

and they were also swung part several times during the day.

The Police were therefore instructed that when the barges

were apart there was no need for them to be at the site. But

the evidence disclosed that there wore many tines when the

barges were connected and pedestrians crossing fro: one side

to the other, no police patrols were at the bridge. The

Commissioner of Police explained thl.t the main object of

establishing these patrols was to prevent interference with

the workmen by pedestrians using the pontoon bridge. The

Commissioner of Police also explained that owing to the acute

shortage of men at Central Station it was impossible to post a

constable conti~unlly on the bridge, but his orders were that

the constable in that area should concentrate on his normal

beat duties and keep an eye on the bridge.

 15. With regard to the barricades, at the Pickstock

 Street side it seems that there was some kind of barricade;

 it was movable and ranyi ties was not in place at all. It the

 Richard Sidewalk side it is doubtful whether there was ever a

 barricade there at any time before the accident. Those

 witnesses who said there


... was a