| BUILDINGS & FACILITIES |
YEAR: 1977
 |
A new type of automatic turnstile, new to NZ at least, may soon be in operation on trotting and racing tracks in this country.
First developed in Australia by Automatic Totalisators Ltd, the automatic turnstile is now in widespread use throughout Australia, not only on racing and trotting tracks but at other major sporting venues. The automatic turnstile does away with the need for clubs to employ large numbers of gate staff to collect entrance money, and the model pictured was tested by the NZ Metropolitan TC at its two night National meeting this month.
Available either as permanent fixtures or as portable turnstiles, they offer great scope for racing and trotting clubs to save on costs. The turnstiles can operate either by patrons placing the entrance money directly into the coin block, or where admittance charges vary, by the use of tokens which can be purchased on the way in. The token system is the most commonly used on Australian trotting tracks where many New Zealanders are already familiar with the system.
At a time when all NZ trotting clubs are looking at ways of cutting costs, this new turnstile seems to offer wide scope for achieving this aim, particularly if clubs in the same areas were to get together to obtain the equipment in partnership.
First developed in 1959, the equipment has proved most successful and beneficial to clubs in Australia and it does not seem it will be long before NZ clubs adopt the same system.
Credit: NZ Trotting Calendar 30Aug77