A.—ROAD ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE.
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(1) Claiesification.—The classification of roads should he undertaken by the Road Board, in consultation with the local authorities, on a scheme to be laid before Parliament.
(2) Cost.—One half of the cost. of such roads as are in future classified as Main (or Primary) Roads should he paid out of thu Exchequer, while such of those as are defined in the scheme as Trunk Roads should receive, in addition to half their cost, a special grant from the Road Board on a certificate being given by a Government. Superintendent that they have been properly maintained by the local authorities. (3) ..4.1ithorities.—The County Councils should be the supreme authorities for all public roads for carriage traffic in rural districts within their area, and should have a statutory right to approve the appointment and dismissal of all highway officers to whose salaries they contribute. (771(s reRottit;on was passed by the Association in 1902, but has bees, referred bath for further consideration.) B.—.HionwAYs.
(1) Bu;lrli ng Ines.—County Councils should have compulsory powers with regard to widening, alignment. and setting back of existing buildings on all roads over which they have jurisdiction. (2) FeNce.s.—More powers are required by County Councils for dealing with fences. The owners or occupiers of enclosed land should be required to keep the fences between such lands and the public highway in such condition as to prevent animals straying from such enclosed lands on to the highway.
(3) Dirt on ifighways.—It should be made an offence punishable by law negligently to permit soil, mud, or dirt to be brought upon the highways by the wheels of vehicles.
C.– BRIDGES.
That. it is desirable that the provisions of the Highways and Bridges Act, 1891, should be extended so as to enable agreements to he made thereunder between all classes of local authorities, companies and private owners of bridges and Land Drainage District Commissioners acting under statutory powers, and to give such local authorities the necessary powers to defray the expense of or contribute or join with other local authorities in contributing to the reconstruction, widening, alteration or improvement of any such bridge (including the approaches thereto and the roadway over the same) and to borrow money for all or any of these purposes, and also to take over the responsibility of maintaining, any bridge in their respective areas where no person can be found responsible for the maintenance thereof.
D.—.3,1oTottgAris.
(1) Registration.—Owners of motorcars should he required to register their cars in the county or county borough in which they ordinarily reside.
(2) Change of Ownership.—A limit of time (say 28 days) should be fixed within which notice (under Article TV of the Local Government Board Regulations) should be given of change of ownership of car or cycle.
(3) Licences.—(o) Heavy motorcars should be licensed by the council of the county in which they are ordinarily used, and an adequate fee should be payable therefor. (6) The procedure with regard to the issue, renewal, in spectiou and production of driving licences should be simplified and slightly amended. (c) The endorsement of licences should be at the discretion of the Court, except for the more serious offences. The holder of an endorsed licence should be entitled to obtain a clean licence after two years, during which he has held a licence without further endorsement. (4) Identification Plates.—(a) More specific regulations should be made as to the position and illumination of identification marks. (6) The law as to manufacturers' marks should be simplified. (5) Lamps.—Two lamps should be carried, one on the right and one on the left front respectively of all *motorcars other than motorcycles.
(6) Weight.—(a) The registering authority should have the power of weighing any car on any available weighing machine.
(b) A statutory definition of the weight of the vehicle should accompany all applications for the registration or licensing of any heavy motorcar. (c) The definition of the weight of a car, laden or unladen, should be amended. Further regulations are desirable in regard to the weights permitted to he carried upon all classes of vehicles, and such weights should be based upon considerations of width and type of tyres, diameter of wheels, and speed. (d) The loads which heavy motorcars are allowed to carry should be reduced. or county councils should be given power to fix the weights haying regard to the character of the roads on which such heavy motorcars are used, and the use of such motorcars should be authorized only on payment of a licence duty varying in amount with the total weight of the cars and loads they are authorized to carry. The unit of 840 lb. per inch width of tyre of a 3 ft. diameter wheel used in the Heavy Motor Car Order, 1904, to
arrive at. the axle weight permissible, is excessive, and should be reduced to 616 lb., increasing 1 cwt. per additional foot iii diameter of wheel.
(7) Offenees.—(a) Owners of motorcars should be liable to penalty if oil summary conviction they are. shown to have
abetted their drivers in committing, certain offences connected with the driving of a motorcar, and the duties of owners as to giving information leading to the identification of their drivers should be enlarged. (6) A special penalty should be imposed for being drunk when in charge of a motorcar. (e) The emission of smoke or visible vapour on a public highway in such quantity as to cause annoyance or danger, and the causing of excessive noise or vibration not of a momentary description, should be an offence. (d) A right of appeal should lie when endorsement or a fine of 20s. has been imposed.
E.—TRACTION ENGINES.
(1) There should be an assimilation of the law relating to traction engines and heavy motorcars. (2) Sice and Weight.—(a.) Further powers should be obtained so as to enable regulations to be made by local authorities. subject to the approval of the Local Government Board, restricting the size and weight of locomotives and of trailers, and of the weights to be carried by the latter. (6) The weight of a traction engine should he the gross load upon the road, including full supply of water, fuel, etc., and such gross load should be ascertained and certified by the County Council, who should issue a plate indicating such weight for affixing to the engine. (e) The County Surveyor should be notified 48 hours prior to the traversing of any roads in his county by an engine or engines hauling an indivisible article exceeding 16 tons in weight, and should be empowered to select the route to be taken, or prohibit, the journey in unfavourable weather.
(d) As regards wagons and trailers, weights upon any one axle should be regulated according to diameter of wheel and
width of tyre, and should in no case exceed that which it is recommended should be adopted for the Heavy Motor Car Order.
(3) Frost.—County Councils should have power by by-law to regulate or prohibit the use of locomotives on highways %ellen under repair, or upon the break-up of a frost. (4) Construction of Wheels.—County Councils should have power by by-law to prohibit projecting diagonal cross bars on driving wheels, and narrow bands round front wheels of heavy motors.
(5) T,ieence Pees.—The annual licence fees should be identical thoughout the kingdom and should be increased to an amount more nearly approximating the benefits received by traction-engine owners in the use of the highways by this exceptional class of traffic.
(6) Daily Pernsits.—The daily permit fee should be 20s., and locomotive owners before taking out a daily permit should supply information as to whether the locomotive is
already licensed—if so, when and where—they should pay the fee at, least two days before the locomotive is used, unless by special permission under regulations made by the local authority, and produce the permit. whenever the locomotive is drivee on a highway. When the locomotive in respect of
which a daily permit is required exceeds 14 tons in weight, the owner of the locomotive should be required to apply under Section 28 of the Act of 1878, for authority to use sucL locomotive in the county in which it is unlicensed, before bringing such locomotive into such county. (7) Drivers' Licences.—Drivern should be licensed under conditions identical with those imposed upon drivers of heavy motors.
(8) Chain Couplivgs.—County Councils should be empowered to make by-laws requiring a safety chain coupline in addition to the ordinary draw-bar. (9) Communication.---It should be made obligatory for a man to be placed at the rear of the wagon, who should be provided with means for communicating with the driver of the locomotive.
F.—Tnam WAYS.
County Councils should have greater control over tramways, including the power of purchasing and making by-laws.
G.—TRACKLESS TROLLEYS.
It should be in the power of the road authority to refuse its consent to the introduction of trackless trolleys over its roads, subject to provisions for preventing unreasonable refusal when the application related to roads in the district of more than one road authority, and when the promoters had given satisfactory security for bearing any additional cast of the maintenance of the roads due to traffic brought. on to them I)y trackless trolleys. Among the conditions which might properly be required by a road authority are the following (a) That where such powers are granted the promoters should he obliged to contribute towards the cost of maintenance of the roads either in the form of a carmileage rate, or rent, or capital sum, or any one•or more of these.
(.6) That the road authority should have power to control the weight of the ears, and, if necessary, to prohibit cars of excessive weight.
(c) That strict regulations should be laid down as to dimensions and material of tyres, and that there should be a periodical revision of such regulations.
Id) That the traffic should be subject to general regulations made by the road authority.
H.—L/C.HTS ON VEHICLES.
The Lights on Vehicles Act, 1907, requires amendment on the following points :— (e) Section 1 (2) should be amended so as to make it clear that the light is to he placed at the rear of the vehicle.
(6) Sections 3 and 4 should be practically amalgamated so that equal powers with regard to the matters therein mentioned may be enjoyed by both County and Borough Authorities, so as to avoid confusion.
(c) It, should be made obligatory on all vehicles carrying loads projecting beyond the rear of the vehicle to carry on the end of the load a lamp or lamps or reflector showing a red light to the rear.
I.—REGULATION OF TRAFFIC.
(I) The Police throughout the country should have increased authority as regards control of traffic.
(2) County Councils should have more power to regulate traffic.
(3) More stringent obligations should be laid down than at present exist with regard to traffic keeping to the near side of the road.
J.—ENTRAORDIN,IRY TRAFFIC.
(1) The amendment of the law with regard to extraordinary traffic should be carried into effect as soon as possible.
(2) If a highway authority has reason to believe that damage may be done to a highway by extraordinary traffic that authority ought to have the right to apply to J ustices or the County Court to prohibit such traffic until the persons responsible give sufficient security to cover such possible damage, as, in the opinion of the Court, may be done, and the authority should have power to require the amount. of security to be increased from time to time when the traffic extends over a considerable period.
(3) All disputed claims for damages fur extraordinary traffic in England and Wales should come before a special tribunal (whose decision should be final) to be appointed in each case by the Road Board, and to consist of two qualified engineers and a legal representative.
K.-1110TOU SIGNS AND DIRECTION POSTS.
The resolutions on these subjects have not been included in the Return, as the matter is still under the consideration of the Central Committee on Roads and Road Traffic and the Roads Improvement Association, and revised suggestions made by these bodies will shortly be submitted to the Association.