AT THE HEART OF THE ROAD TRANSPORT INDUSTRY.

Call our Sales Team on 0208 912 2120

ROAD TRANSPORT MATTERS IN PARLIAMENT.

23rd March 1926, Page 10
23rd March 1926
Page 10
Page 11
Page 10, 23rd March 1926 — ROAD TRANSPORT MATTERS IN PARLIAMENT.
Close
Noticed an error?
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.

Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

The III-fate of the Omnibuses Bill. No Road Bonds. Number of Buses in London. The Bradford Omnibus Struggle. The War Office Orders for Tractors: By Our Special Parliamentary Correspondent.

mit RADFORD'S Omnibuses Bill was rejected in the House of Commons by a very narrow majority, 128 voting for the second reading and 133 against. Although the promoter and backers of the Bill were Conservative members and some others of their party went into the " Aye " lobby, the Socialist members furnished the real support. The Bill was defeated on several grounds. It was contended by the opponents that it would increase and encourage municipal trading and speculation in transport with ratepayers' money, that the House of Commons and not a bureaucratic authority, viz., the Ministry of Transport, should decide whether a local authority should have power to run omnibuses in outside areas where the consent of the authorities in those areas was " unreasonably " withheld, and that the effect of the measure might be to create combinations of important municipalities whose road-transport schemes would drive private enterprise off the roads. Another point that was stressed was the alleged desire of municipalities owning tramways to make good the loss sustained on an "obsolete system." There was also some reference to the unfairness of a local authority running omnibuses acting also as the licensing authority for its own fleet as well as that of competing private owners, whilst a weak spot in the measure was revealed in respect of the power it would give to a municipality to obtain an order and then to sell or lease the rights to the highest bidder.

Government Neutrality and Some Reasons.

A SOMEWHAT unconvincing defence of the Bill was IA made by the promoters, who dwelt mainly upon the argument that the present procedure by private Bill was costly and difficult and that general powers should be given to all local authorities, subject to the safeguard that, when consent was unreasonably withheld by outside authorities, the Minister of Transport should have the determining voice. The Socialist supporters were openly influenced by the "municipal trading" aspect of the question, which, of course, constitutes a good half of their active platform. The Government observed an unusual attitude of neutrality, and Colonel Ashley's intervention in the debate was not enlightening, though one or two members appeared to think that he was not altogether unfriendly to the Bill. This noncommittal attitude of the Government may, perhaps, be explained by the large body of municipal opinion in favour of the Bill, yis-b:-vis the Conservative Party's distrust of proposals for extending the scope of municipal trading. There may be another reason why Colonel Ashley was precluded from saying more than he did. New departments, quite naturally, are not disinclined to accept fresh responsibilities, but the Government, and particularly the Chancellor of the Exchequer, are unwilling to create obstacles to their economy policy by giving war-time departments new statutory responsibilities and, coincidently, stronger claims to permanence. Mr. Churchill is endeavouring to bring the functions of the Ministry of Transport under complete Treasury control, and he has all such considerations in his mind. Accordingly, the Minister of Transport at the present juncture must steer a safe middle course.

No Road Bonds.

FOR some time a proposal has been talked about for the financing of new road construction by means of an issue of Road Bonds, interest and sinking fund to c22

be met by the Road Fund over a long period. A: member of the Cabinet was credited with supporting such a method of enabling schemes involving large expenditure to be undertaken at once. The matter was brought up in the House of Commons the other day by General Clifton Brown, who, in mentioning the proposal, suggested that the 14,000,000 or £5,000,000 thus saved yearly to the Road Fund should be devoted to the maintenance and repair of classified and unclassified roads. The scheme, however, received its quietus 'from the Chancellor of the Exchequer, who stated that the Road Fund was fully able to meet its liabilities from revenue and lie would be strongly opposed to any proposal for financing its operations by fresh borrowing which could not fail to have a prejudicial effect on our general financial position.

Mr. Churchill's Tilt at Road Expenditure.

WHILST the Economy Bill, which the Chancellor of the Exchequer expounded on second reading, does not specifically deal with the Road Fund, some reference was made to the subject in Mr. Churchill's statement. The motor taxes this year, he said, would produce over £18,000,000 or nearly £2,000,000 more than the estimate. Next year, "on the present basis," they would rise to over 120,000,000. He followed this with some mildly ironical allusions to the spending of that money. It was the duty of the Ministry of Transport, he said, to spend all the motor taxes on the roads as fast as they properly could. The more they got the more they spent, but in spite of their very best efforts to get through the money, they had had to accumulate a large surplus, for which they were unable to find any practical use. He went on to argue that the increase in locomotion and in correspondence (by which he indicated increase in Post Office business) was a proof of the healthy progress and the general and increasing wealth of the country. Upon this proposition he maintained that he should not be blamed if the national expenditure was swelled by 14,000,000 or £5,000,000. It was only the natural and normal expansion of healthy public activity. He would have some proposal to make about the Road Fund when the Budget was opened, but he refused to say more on the subject.

Motorbus Licences in London.

A CCORDING to official figures, the number of motor ..Clomnibus licences in force within the Metropolitan Police district at the end of each of the last five years was

1921 ... 3,473 1922 ... 3,732 1923 ... 5,117 1924

... 5,384

1925

5.478 It may be inferred that the high-water mark is being reached, as the great increase of 1,385 in 1923 was followed by an increase of 267 in 1924 and an increase of only 94 in 1925.

Omnibus Withdrawals and Tramway Powers.

rpHE proposed withdrawal of omnibuses in the Metro politan Police district was mentioned in a question by Sir Frederick Hall, who wanted to know whether a proportionate number of tramcars would be withdrawn, as the withdrawal of omnibuses would, in some cases, mean ruin to the small proprietor. Colonel Ashley made the following reply :—" I have given notice to the proprietors operating omnibus services upon certain tramway routes that, on and from specified dates, the number of journeys -which may be made by omnibiises plying for hire over these routes will be limited under the provisions of Section 7 of the London Traffic Act, 1024. I have no power to limit the number of tramcar. journeys. As my hon. friend is aware, all tramway undertakings are worked under statutory authority. The London Traffic Advisory Committee have, with my approval, suggested to all the omnibus proprietors operating services in the MetroplaIitan Police district that they should themselves set up a voluntary fund from Which compensation could be paid in respect of omnibuses withdrawn from service in the area as a result of these restrictions."

Restrictions Based on Returns.

QOME .Concern has been shown by Acton Borough le)Council as to the curtailment of omnibus services, and, upon the matter being brought up in the House of Commons, Colonel Moore-Brateizonstated that, in every case where it had been decided to restrict omnibus services running over tramway routes, returns had first heen obtained showing hour by hour the number of passengers conveyed throughout the day and the accommodation provided by each form,of passenger transport service operating along the route. The Minister was satisfied that the restrictions to be imposed would still leave adequate facilities for the public.

Tramcars and Road Burdens.

ASUGGESTION was made by a Labour member, Mr. Palin, that, as tramway undertakings had to contribute, as aconditionof their licences, to the cost of adapting; altering, or reconstructing roads over which they operated, similar conditions should be attached to the licences granted to motor omnibus companies. Colonel Ashley stated that he was unaware of any such conditions attached to licences issued in respect of tramcars, but in some cases obligations of a special character were imposed by locel acts authorizing tramway undertakings. He observed that the excise licence "duties payable by motor omnibuses accrued to the Road Fund and were, in effect, a contribution to the cost of road maintenance and improvement.

Minister of Transport and Bradford Omnibuses.

R. BENJAMIN SMITH has raised the matter of

the Wakefield and 'Bradford, omnibus licence in a series of questionsto the Minister of Transport. First he asked under what statutory powers the Minister could require local authorities, against their wishes, to license privately owned motor omnibuses. The second question Was whether, over the WakefieldMat/ford route on which the Minister proposed that licences should be granted to 18 public vehicles plying for hire, observations taken by the Bradford City Corporation showed an average of only six persons per day transferring from the private motor omnibus service terminating at Porighlington to the Bradford City tramways and whether, in these circumstances, he would cease to press for the licensing of privately owned vehicles to operate between Wakefield and Bradford, and over the routes within Bradford City boundary. Mr. Smith also asked whether in demanding that the Bradford City Corporation should issue licences for public vehicles plying for hire-within the boundaries of the city, the Minister had considered the present congestion, width and gradients Of the roads and the unsuitability of certain thoroughfares for heavy motor vehicles, and would he withdraw his demand on •the Corporation to issue those licences.

Colonel Moore-Bralazon stated that the powers of the Minister of Transport in connection with appeals relating to licences to ply for hire with omnibuses were derived from the provisions of sub-section 3 of Section 14 of the Roads Act; 1920. Further powers were con

tamed in certain local Acts. In the recent cases at Bradford the representatives of the Council had every Opportunity to bring their views to his notice and, before deciding to make an Order in the matter, he gave careful consideration to all relevant facts which were brought out by both parties to the appeal.

War Office Supply of Tractors.

IN recent debates on the estimates for the three fight_Ling services, it has been urged by Labour members that dismissals from Woolwich Arsenal were unjustified while the Government were giving orders to outside firms who, unlike Woolwich, had the whole world in which to trade. The reply, -of course, is stereotyped. Private firms must be depended upon as alternative sources of supply in times of emergency, and they must get a share of orders in peace time to keep them going. Besides, in modern wars the immunity from air attack of a single arsenal cannot be assured. The Secretary for War added anether reason when replying to the debate on his vote. He pointed out that the Army requires something more than high explosives and shells. In the matter of tractors, they got the best designs not only from Woolwich, but also from outside firms, and they could not get outside firms in the trade to hand over their designs unless they were assured of a certain proportion of the orders. As a matter of fact, he rehaarked, the tractor known as the "domesticated dragon," which they now had In use, was a design which came from a private firm outside. It was the best design the War Office could get, and they could not have got it at all unless they were able to assure the firm that some part of the orders would be placed with them. This seems a very cogent and practical argument for maintaining the practice which has served the country well in recent years.

Otte-way Traffic Signs.

ARRANGEMENTS are now in hand for the erection of direction signs, to he illuminated at night, in streets where one-way traffic has been introduced, such as Parliament Square and Long Acre.

Attendants with Road Locomotives.

THE introduction of legislation to allow threshing sets to travel with two men instead of three has been recommended to the Minister of Transport, who indicates that the whole question of the number of attendants accompanying a locomotive hauling a train of vehicles is being considered in connection with the Road Vehicles Bill and the regulations to be made thereunder.

Disagreements and Delays.

IT is notorious that necessary road and bridge intprovemeiats are often held up fox long periods through a failure to agree on the part of separate local authorities and other public bodies. One member's advice to the,Minister of Transport was to do the work himself and then charge the authorities with the cost in proportions to be determined byhis department. The powers of the Minister, however, are not quite . so wide as to cover such a high-handed interference with local Weirs, though the circumstances would, indeed, in some cases, seem to warrant the exercise or such a power. The only thing that can be done is to lend the services of the officials of the Ministry for the purpose of composing differences that may arise between local authorities.

Under the Eye of the Police. Under the Eye of the Police. AS Cromwell Road is alleged to be used as a motor racing track for the purpose of speed testing, the police are giving the matter special attention.

Light Signals in Piccadilly.

TT is officially announced that a system of light 'signals between Berkeley Street and Piccadilly Circus will be installed at an early date.


comments powered by Disqus