Hovercraft May Kill Channel Tunnel
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BY OUR OWN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT THERE is good reason to suppose that the bright hopes held out by the Hovercraft (or Cushioncraft, as it is now called) have killed the Channel Tunnel scheme. Certainly, Ministers are far less interested in it than they were.
The Cushioncraft is to be demonstrated to Members of Parliament at the end of the month. Mr. Ernest Marples, Minister of Transport, is most interested in it and, as The Commercial Motor reported last Week, Lord Ogmore foresees the introduction shortly of wingless buses. • There have been more terse questions about the London-Yorkshire motorway. The Minister is at the moment considering the objections to the . draft scheme for the motorway from Crick: to Doncaster by-pass. Proposals by the local auffiorities for the further extension of the motorway to Sheffieldand Leeds are also being examined. But, Mr. John Hay, Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry, warned a Yorkshire MP., it will inevitably take some time to cornplete the statutory processes and it is too early to fix starting dates for either of these schemes.
Mr. Hay was reminded by Mr. Ernest Popplewell (Lab., W. Newcastle) that road congestion cost £500m. a year and was increasing at the rate of £150m. a year.. What was he doing about it?
Mr. Hay could only say that the Road Traffic and Roads Improvement ,Bill was designed to help, but Mr. Popplewell retorted: "The roads are becoming hopelessly overcrowded, particularly with long-distance freight traffic, while the railways are very well able to cater for that type of traffic." Mr. Popplewell wants more of this traffic to be diverted to the railways.
Mr. Hay, however, regarded this as counsel of despair. "What we have to do is provide in this country an up-to-date network of road communications," he said. The Bill would put valuable additional powers into the hands of Mr. Marples to deal with congestion in the towns. This," hi thought, was far better than trying artificially to divert road traffic to rail. • From a small question emerged the fact that preliminary investigations have been made into the 'possibility of using parts of the disused Hull and Barnsley railway line "as a road to improve communications, between the West Riding and Hull. The results, Mr. Marples told the questioner, were being 'studied. .
Mr. Marples has now 'announced his 50 rit.p.h: speed limit from 6 a.m. on the Friday before Whitsununtil 6 -a.m. on the following 'Tuesday. The limit will be imposed on 150 miles Of trunk' routes which carry a heavy volume of holiday traffic. All lengths Will be .exclusive of " portions already subject to general speedlimits of 30 m.p.h. or 40 m.p.h.; whiek will he unaltered.