Road Transport Activities
Page 57
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IN PARLIAMENT
By Our Special Parliamentary Conesporident
LONDON TRANSPORT AND A.E.C. CONTRACTS.
UTR. DAVID REID asked the Minisalter of Transport whether he was aware than the London Passenger Transport Board had entered into a contract with the Associated Equipment Co., Ltd., for the supply by that company of 90 per cent, of the board's requirements of road vehicles for a period of 10 years; whether a copy of this contract would be made public; and, if not, whether any information was available as to the class, description and number of vehicles to be supplied to the board under the contract.
Mr. Stanley has supplied the following written reply :—" I am informed by the London Passenger Transport Board that it has entered into a contract with the Associated Equipment Co., Ltd., for the supply of motorbus chassis and spare parts. The Board does not propose to publish the contract; but I am informed that it is substantially in accordance with the pro forma contract to which reference is made in section 6 of the London Passenger Transport Act, 1933."
'LONDON TROLLEYBUSES.
T' question was also asked by Mr. Reid whether the Minister of Transport was aware that the London Passenger Transport Board has placed orders for electric trolley vehicles for experimental purposes with the Associated Equipment Co., Ltd., without inviting any other British concern to tender; and whether, inasmuch as there are several other companies in Great Britain specializing in the manufacture of electric trolley vehicles, an opportunity will be given to more than one company to supply experimental vehicles and subsequent requirements.
Mr. Stanley's reply was as follows: —" I am informed by the London Passenger Transport Board that it has purchased chassis for two experimental trolley vehicles from the Associated Equipment Co., Ltd. The bodies and electrical equipment will be manufactured by other concerns. The inviting of tenders is a matter entirely within the discretion of the Board, but I am informed that it is the Board's intention to invite approved companies to tender for the supply of trolley vehicles in the event of the Bill now before Parliament becoming law."
WEEKLY REPORTS OF ACCIDENTS.
I T was stated by Colonel I-Teadlam
that arrangements had been made with the Secretaries of State for the Home Department and for Scotland for the number, of persons killed and injured
on the roads to be reported weekly for a period beginning at Easter, in order that they might be available for publication in connection with the coming campaign" for the reduction of road accidents.
ROAD TRANSPORT BILL.
IT was stated last week by Col. Headlam that the Minister of Transport hoped to introduce before Easter a Bill on the subject of the reduction of road accidents.
POST OFFICE MOTOR VEHICLES.
SIR KINGSLEY WOOD, the Postmaster-General, states that all motor vehicles awned by the Post Office are of British manufacture, although 153 out of 8,676 contain a small percentage of foreign components. All the principal mail contractors use vans of British manufacture.
LEATHERHEAD AND DORKING BY-PASSES.
THE Minister of Transport has stated that certain sections of both the Leatherhead and Dorking by-passes had already been opened to traffic, and both by-passes will be open throughout their length by the end of June.
WEAK BRIDGES.
MR. STANLEY was unable to add anything to replies which he had already given when he was asked by Capt. Strickland whether, in view of the impossibility of repairing essential bridges scheduled as weak, within a reasonable period of time, and seeing that those bridges had been and were successfully carrying mad-traffic, he would consider postponing the operation of Section 30 of the Road and Rail Traffic Act.
Capt. Strickland addressed another question to the Minister asking whether in the case of a bridge that was acknowledged to be unsafe and about which neither the local authority nor the bridge authority was prepared to move, the Minister had no power to insist on the bridge being made safe; and whether, in the alternative, road transport was to be held up indefinitely until these people came to some arrangement to have the bridge put in such a state that the roads could be used for their legitimate purpose. Mr. Stanley requested notice of that question. MEASUREMENT STANDARDS FOR ROAD MATERIALS.
THE President of the Board of Trade was asked when the Bill would be introduced dealing with the standardization of the measurement for the sale of ballast, sand, building and other roadrnaking materials.
Mr. Runciman stated that the proposals put forward by the Committee of the British Standards Institution on behalf of the Trade interests concerned, had given rise to certain difficulties in view of the existing provisions of the Weights and Measures Acts.
The Board ofTrade .were at present engaged in drafting provisions on the subject, but he regretted that he could not say as yet when it might. be pos. sible to introduce legislation on the subject.
TRANSPORT OF A WHALE.
HERBERT WILLIAMS asked llathe Minister of Transport what precautions-were taken to prevent damage to roads as the result of the transport by road from the east coast to the west coast of.a whaleweighing 75 tons ; and whether the sanction of the Traffic Commissioners %Ira's . obtained for this transport..
Colonel Headlam said that neither the Minister's sanction nor that of the Traffic Commissioners was necessary for the transport of abnormal loads. Mr. Williams was referred to the Motor Vehicles (Authorization of Special Types) Order No. 1,1931.
R.A.F. LUBRICATING OIL.
.SIR P. SASSOON informed the House si that the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics were at present the main sources of world supply of lubricating oil of the type required by the Royal Air Force. The supplies obtained in 1933 were blended from the components derived from these two countries. He added that it was only a special kind of oil that possessed the necessary lubricating properties for high-efficiency engines.
CROYDON AIRPORT.
SIR P. SASSOON was askedwhether he could make a statement as to the present intention regarding the removal of the airport from Croydon and its establishment in the west of London outside the fog area. The UnderSecretary for Air replied that there was no such intention. He said the aerodrome at Croydon was retained and developed as the Government-owned airport of London after exhaustive examination of alternative sites, and no new circumstances had arisen which would necessitate a change.