Alt-day Bans : Home Secretary Promises to Safeguard Operators
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nRGANIZATIONS representing corn rnercial-vehicle operators are immediately to be consulted by Mr. R. A. Butler, Home Secretary, so that he can judge how to safeguard their interests against wider powers to ban loading and unloading conferred upon local authorities by the Road Traffic and Road Improvements Bill Lord Chesham, Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport, gave this information when the Bill was read for a third time in the House of Lords CM Tuesday evening, writes our Parliamentary correspondent.
He said that the clause removing restrictions upon local authorities to prohibit loading and unloading had caused apprehension among operators. The kind of safeguards to be adopted would mean that a local authority would have to hold a public inquiry if it proposed to introduce a ban to operate for more than six hours a day.
An authority would also have to hold an inquiry where there were any unresolved objections, and a copy of the inspector's report would have to be sent to Mr. Butler at least a month before the ban was actually enforced.
"This will ensure that the Home Secretary is forewarned of any possible trouble, and will have time to discuss the matter with the local authority if he thinks anything proposed goes beyond what is reasonable on traffic grounds," said Lord Chesham.
Any objector would have the right to appeal to a local authority on the ground that they were proposing an unreasonable restriction, and the Rome Secretary would be entitled to use his powers if he thought that the authority were unreasonable.
Lord Derwent stated that traders would be "much comforted" by Lord Chesham's announcement. I am sure their fears have been set at rest," he added.
PAPERS FOR DOUGLAS
TWO papers will be presented at the annual conference of the Municipal Passenger Transport Association, which takes place at Douglas during the week commencing September 12.
Mr. E. V. Dyson, general manager, Huddersfield Transport Department, will present "Servicing and Maintenance of Motorbuses" and "Re-routing of Services as a means of Combating a Deficit " will be delivered by Mr. N. McDonald, general manager, Warrington Transport Department