Road Transport Activities
Page 59
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
in PARLIAMENT
By Our Special Parliamentary Correspondent
Motor Coaches in Central London.
ANR. HACKING asked the Minister Ind Transport whether, in view of the loss to the country owing to the impossibility of travel agents booking advance sightseeing tours of London for potential visitors from overseas, due to his delay in reaching a decision with regard to the proposal to ban motor coaches from central London, he would make an immediate statement to the effect that such visitors would not be inconvenienced by any regulations which he proposed to issue.
Mr. Morrison said I have decided not to proceed with the making of the regulations, of which notice was given on December lath last, and to adopt the alternative course of giviug general directions to the Traffic Commissioner for the Metropolitan area, in pursuance of Section 63 of the Road Traffic Act, 1930, in the matter of the restriction of motor-coach services in the central London area. In these general directions the attention of the commissioner will be drawn to the desirability of so exercising his discretion in the grant or refusal of road-service licences as to allow facilities for sightseeing excursions and tours, where it is clear that a legitimate public demand exists which could not otherwise be met.. I propose to issue and to publish the general directions to the Metropolitan Traffic Commissioner at once.
Speedometers on Motor Coaches.
ALBERY asked Mr. Morrison ..1.Y.1what action he proposed to take in the matter of convictions of motorcoach drivers for exceeding the speed limit when the coaches were not fitted with speedometers.' .
Mr. Morrison said that, in view of , the need for 'road-service-licence applications being . acceenuaaied by time tables, he has not thought it necessary to require Coaches to carry speedometers.
Prevention of Overloading.
HE Minister of Transport was asked by Mr. Arthur Michael Samuel what steps were being taken by his department or by local authorities to make effective the existing regulations designed to prevent the 'overloading of motor and steam-driven vehicles using public roads.
Mr.' Herbert Morrison stated that grants from the Road Fund were now available towards the expenses incurred by highway authorities in erecting or securing the use of machines for weighing vehicles.
Taxicab Records.
itirmon GLYN made a request to _Bathe Home Secretary that as the Commissioner of Metropolitan -Police required every taxicab presented for the
renewal of .its annual licence to pass an efficiency test, instructions might be given that particulars regarding the firm by which the vehicle was constructed and the date and place of manufacture should be recorded. Mr. Clynes replied that he was advised that it was doubtful whether any useful purpose would be served by the keeping of such records.
Major Glyn asked for particulars as to the number of taxicabs of the old type and the new type now in service, bow many of these taxicabs were owned by the drivers, and how many by fleet proprietors, and whether, in view of the great discrepancy , between the taxicabs all plying for hire at a uniform rate of fare, any scheme bad been considered whereby the provision of up-todate taxicabs could be encouraged and taxicabs of the old types refused licences with the least hardship possible to their owner-drivers. Mr. Clynes said all vehicles had to conform to an established standard of fitness, and, provided they did so, it would be unreasonable to reject any of them on account of their being of a particular type. During the two years ended December 31st last, 1,704 new taxicabs were licensed. This represented over 20 per cent, of the total number of taxicabs licensed to ply for hire.
Agricultural Vehicles and Rubber Tyres.
IN correcting the impression that regulations have been issued requiring certain classes of. agricultural vehicle to be equipped with rubber tyres, when used on roads, Mr. Morrison said he bad Made no such regulations.
• He pointed out that the Motor. Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations, 1931, required locomotives and trailers generally to be so equipped as from January 1st, 1933. In the interests of agriculture, however, exemption had been made in "respect of land locomotives and land tractors which were de; fined as locomotives and tractors designed and -used primarily I for work on the land in connection with agriculture, forestry, land levelling, dredging and shiner operations, which were driven on a read only. when, proceeding to and from the site of such operations and which. when so driven, hauled nothing other than fond implements and (in the case of land tractors) agricultural trailers.
Taxation of Motor Vehicles.
THE suggestion was made by Mr. Granville that in • view of the pressure of the present system of taxation on owners of buses and other heavy motor vehicles, the alteration of the rates at present in force should be considered by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, put the Secretary to the Treasury could only say that due accofint would be taken of all relevant considerations in preparing the Budget. Variation of Hours.
R. JAMES WILSON asked the _LVI.Minister of Transport whether he would give particulars of the applicas -Lion he had received to extend the time a driver of a public-service vehicle might remain continuously on duty and to reduce the periods of rest as prescribed in Section 19 of the Road Traffic Act, 1930, for the protection of the public against the risks which arose' where a driver was suffering" from excessive fatigue; whether he had sought the advice of the Industrial Court on the matter ; and whether he proposed to adopt the recommendations of the court. In reply ,Mr. Morrison made the following announcement :-
I have received a joint application under Section 19 (3) of the Road Traffic Act, 1930, for variations of the hours of employment laid down in that section on the part of the Transport and General Workers Union, on the one hand, and the Commercial Motor Users Association, the Motor Hirers and Coach Services Association, the MuniciL Pal Tramways and Transport Associa tion, the Tramways, Light Railways and Transport Association, and the Omnibus Owners Association on the other. The application, which relates only to the passengertransport side of the industry,, was . referred by . me to the Industrial Court for advice in accordance with the provisions of the Act.
After careful consideration of the advice tendered by the Industrial Court and of all the circumstances of the case, I have decided to make as Order which shall have the following effect :— (1) As a variation of paragraph (i) of sub-section (1) of section 19.
In the case of a stage carriage where in any period of 24 hours only one continuous period of duty is worked, then for such period of duty the limit of 8i hours may be sub13fituted for the limit of 5i hours, if the driver, of the vehicle be allowed, intervals of time for signing on and • off and for looking over the vehicle before it leaves, and after the vehicle returns to the garage, and for layover to anextent which, in the aggregate, gate, is not less than 45 minutes, provided that where the continuous period of duty does not exceed 8 hours, the allowed intervals of time need not exceed 40 minutes.
(2) As a variation of the proviso to sub-section (1), • • In the case of a stage carriage the • period of 8 consecutive hours may, on
• one day in any period of 7 .conseeutive • days, be substituted for, the period of 9 consecutive hours for
rest. .
(3) As an additional proviso to paragraph (iii) of sub-section (1).
If between any two periods of driving an express carriage or a contract carriage there he an interval of not less' than 4 consecutive hours at a destination, during which time the driver of the vehicle is able to obtain rest and refreshment on one day in any period of 7 consecutive days, or on two days if the said period includes a Bank Holiday, the period of 8 consecutive hours may, be substituted for the period of 10 consecutive hours of rest.