No Increase in 20 m.p.h. Limit Yet
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R.H.A. Handling of Negotiations Attacked: Minister Hints at Government Action
BY OUR PARLIAMENTARY CORRESPONDENT
AN attempt by Mr. Gerald Nabarro (C., Kidderminster), during the committee stage of the Road Traffic Bill, to secure an increase from 20 m.p.h. to 30 m.p.h. in the speed limit on heavy goods vehicles failed.
Mr. J. A. Boyd-Carpenter, Minister of Transport, said he was not able to say whether the stage had been reached at which the refusal of part of the industry to come to a firm agreement on the matter amounted to a complete veto of progress. Sooner or later the Government might have to make a decision.
Mr. Nabarro claimed that a large
number of accidents occurred through a vehicle with a maximum speed of 30 m.p.h. endeavouring to overtake a 20 m.p.h. vehicle.
Rootes undertook an experiment with Commer lorries. A vehicle tied to a 20 m.p.h. maximum was tested along a 100-mile stretch of road and was overtaken by 183 others. A 30 m.p.h. vehicle was then tested on the same stretch of road and it was overtaken by only 42 vehicles.
Great benefits would come to commercial-vehicle designers were it possible to standardize the limit at 30 m.p.h. Export trade was being hampered by the 20 m.p.h. limit.
Higher speed would result in a substantial increase in productivity, and a large part of the proceeds should accrue to the drivers, Mr. Nabarro declared.
The Transport and General Workers' Union claimed to represent the drivers, the Road Haulage Association said they represented the employers.
"In fact," he averred, "the R.H.A. represent only a minority interest. That is what has caused the bedevilment of the negotiations on this limit over the past 10 years.
R.H.A. " Unrepresentative "
The Association was an unrepresentative minority body. All it represented was 34,000 vehicles out of 110,000, and was largely responsible for the present deadlock by refusing an increase in pay.
"Why should it claim to represent the employers?" Mr. Nabarro asked. "The sooner it gets out of the negotiations the better I shall be pleased. This is a matter for the majority employer interests and here I sneak as one of the majority. This is largely a matter for the employers who own the C licences."
He believed that most ancillary users were prepared to follow the axiom that the drivers should share equally with the employers in the proceeds of additional productivity which would flow from raising the limit. He was willing to give his own drivers a substantial increase in basic rates of pay.
Mr. James Harrison (Lab., Nottingham N.) said that if the limit were raised to, 30 m.p.h., operators would produce schedules requiring a speed of 40 m.p.h.
Mr. Charles Pannell (Lab., W. Leeds) said it was useless to talk about auto
A32 mation while the roads were a reproach to us all and while the absurd 20 m.p.h. limit existed.
Mr. Gresham Cooke (C., Twickenham) asked the Minister to make an Order to come into effect, say, on June 1 next, to give time for the employers and employees to sort out schedules and conditions.
Mr. Boyd-Carpenter agreed that the improved. design and braking power of the modern goods vehicle had substantially altered the matter and he did not believe that a higher limit would have any appreciable effect on safety. The 20 m.p.h. limit was largely ignored.
Complicated Structure It was one of the problems of the industry that the structure on both the employers' and employees' sides was much more complicated than that of other industries and that in itself might make it more difficult to reach agreement.
"The question arises whether the continued refusal, for whatever reason, of some part of the industry to come to any firm agreement on this matter must amount to a complete veto of progress. I am not in a position to say this morning whether it seems to me that we have reached the stage at
which it is necessary to decide whether or not to proceed in the absence of agreement.
"What the consequences may be if agreement is not reached is a matter about which it would be very inexpedient for me at this moment to say anything. It would be a pity if, at this stage, when hope of procedure by agreement has not been wholly lost, the committee were to take the step of legislating into this Bill its view on the merits of the matter and appearing to impose on the Government the duty of bringing this into effect without freedom of choice as to timing.
"1 do not think that any Government can take the view that, where on the merits of the matter A change ought to be effected, the absolute failure of all concerned to agree can necessarily bar that change. Sooner or later in these circumstances—and this is a matter .which has gone on for a long time and one in which my predecessors have shown great patience — it becomes incumbent, for better or worse, on the Government to take a decision" one way or the other."
• He asked Mr. Nabarro not to press his new clause at the moment. "This kill will have later stages," he added. 'The clause was withdrawn.
H.G.V,. Licence
From a debate on Tuesday on the reinstatement of the heavy goods vehicle driver's licence it appeared that reconsideration of this question might have to accompany an increase in the speed limit.
Mr. Gresham Cooke moved a neW clause to restore the licence. Anyone aged 17 could at present pass a test on a small car and on reaching the age of 21 was entitled to drive any commercial vehicle, including heavy goods vehicles and 60-ft. articulated outfits.
Mr. Molson said the purpose of the clause was to make mandatory what the Minister had power to do at present. There was a great deal to be said in theory for requiring those driving heavy goods vehicles to have special qualifications.
There had in fact been no evidence that the suspension of this requirement since the outbreak of war had resulted in any increase in the number of accidents. The heavy goods vehicle men were model drivers.
But the manpower situation was difficult with regard to qualified examiners. In view of the high reputation of the " heavy " drivers, he was inclined to think it was more important that the vehicles should be tested, and the same examiners were required for both jobs.
" We will certainly keep this matter in mind,he said. "If and when a change is made in the maximum speed limit of goods vehicles, it would obviously be a relevant consideration in the Minister's mind."