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ROAD TRANSPORT MATTERS IN PARLIAMENT.
Page 100
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Railway Bills ; the London Traffic Advisory Committee's Report. The Petrol Duty and Bus Fares. The Revised Taxicab Regulations.
By Our Special Parliamentary Correspondent.
AGREAT deal of curiosity has been evinced by menibe`rs of both Houses of Parliament as to the precise conclusions of the London Traffic Advisory Committee regarding the Railway Road Transport Bills as embodied in their report to the Minister of Transport and the extent to which these were given effect in the representations niade by the Minister• to the Joint Committee under the usual powers of a department to submit advice regarding private Bills. As Col. Ashley said in the House of Commons, it is not usual to publish Private reports submitted to him for his information and the responsibility of tendering advice to the committee rests with the Minister alone.
Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, who raised the matter In the House of Lords and seemed to have some acquaintance with the terms of the Traffic Committee's report, pointed out that the railway Bills were much more important to the general public than ordinary private Bills and he wished to know why the report had been suppressed. In view of the widespread allegations as to the antiroad bias of the Government arising out of the petrol tax, it was in his view important that the report should be produced to the committee on the Bills. If that were not done there would be real ground for further suspicion, but otherwise they could only conclude there Was something in it which it was desired should not be known and which was of considerable importance.
Discussion "Inopportune."
TISCOUNT PEEL, in the Course of his reply, V said that a report was made by the Advisory Committee in regard to the railway Bills containing references to certain matters germane to the questions being considered by the Joint Select Committee. It was taken into consideration by the Minister in his report to the Joint Committee along with other reports and recommendations on other important subjects, which he had received from public authorities and representatives of public interests.
Regulation of Petrol Stations.
SOME discussion took place in the House of Lords on the second reading of the Petroleum Amendment Bill, which has already been passed by the House of Commons. The chief point raised was the desire of urban district councils to have a say in the making of by-laws relating to petrol stations in their areas. As the Bill stands, the power is given to county councils and borough councils, some of the latter being very much smaller in point of population than many urban districts. Lord Desborough said this was a committee point and the Government would move an amendment in committee which he hoped would meet the requirements of the urban district councils.
Frequent Road Opening.
T"question of different authorities being allowed to tear up the streets at their own sweet will deserves attention from the Government and I hear it is not improbable that a Bill may be introduced to amend the London Traffic Act, 1924, in this and . other respects. That Act expires at the end of the year and the Government will have to decide in the interval whether it should be carried
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on under the Expiring Laws Continuance Bill or whether an amended Act should take its place. A considerable body of opinion favours extending to the street operations of water, gas and electricity undertakings the compulsory notification of road opening which only municipalities are at present required to give. By voluntary agreement the reconstruction of the roadway in Piccadilly was made the occasion of a united effort on the part of the different bodies to do their work while the improvement was being carried out. Probably a similar arrangement will be come to when the Haymarket roadway is remade this summer. These are exceptional instances. It is evident that compulsory notification is necessary to reduce the scandalously frequent assaults upon road surfaces.
Advertising in Taxicabs.
THE revised conditions of fitness for motorcabs, which include a schedule of positions for the fixing of advertisements are already in draft form, and the Home Secretary hopes that they will very shortly be ready for issue.
Petrol Duty and Omnibus Fares.
ATTENTION has been called to the increase of fares by the Gravesend and District Omnibus Co. to meet the extra cost of the petrol tax. It may be asked whether the action of certain companies in lowering their fares before the Budget and only imposing a slight rise thereafter is not one of the reasons for the general absence of complaints. To take one instance, the Aldershot and• District Traction Co., Ltd., made considerable reductions on its fares over a considerable territory, The fare for a journey that had cost 9d. for a number of years was a few weeks before the Budget reduced to 7d. This was typical Of other reductions. Since the Budget, a halfpenny has been added to each fare by means of an extra ticket, upon which is printed, Receipt for id. excess charge owing to the imposition of petrol tax." The passenger who has for long paid 9d. and gets his fare unexpectedly reduced to 7th is not inclined to grumble very much when the petrol tax converts the reduction of 2d. into one of lid. It , is well, however, that the patrons of motorbuses should have a special reminder, as in the case of the Aldershot Co.'s customers, that the petrol duty is the occasion of the reduction of the benefit given to them a short time before Mr. Churchill attacked petrol.
Sutton By-pass.
IT is expected that the bridge over the railway at Cheam will be completed by the end of October next, thus enabling the whole length of the Sutton by-pass to be brought into use.
Cross-road Dangers.
SIR ROBERT THOMAS makes an old suggestion when he refers to the desirability of placing at every junction where a road of minor importance crosses a main thoroughfare a sign warning the driver of a vehicle on the inferior road that he is approaching a road of superior importance and must reduce speed and exercise special caution. Col. Ashley states that he is not really satisfied that this plan would conduce to greater safety.