HEAVY MOTOR TRAFFIC.
Page 8
Page 9
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
An Analysis and Criticism of the Recommendations of the Local Government Board's Committee as Regards Commercial Vehicles and Motor -Omnibuses.
General Principles.
IN OUR LAST ISSUE we informed our readers briefly as to the character of the main recommendations put forward by the Departmental Committee appointed to consider the Laws and Regulations relating to the Construction and Use of Heavy Motor Cars. Before dealing with the items in more detail, it is advisable to try to indicate the general consensus of opinion of the Committee on fundamental matters.
It is stated that the evidence given has clearly proved both the past and the inevitable future development of heavy mechanical transport, which has now been recognized as an essential factor in the commercial and induatrial life of the nation. Such being the case, the natural gro-wth, of the movement must not be checked or cramped in any way. Also, it has been proved that it is quite possible to construct and maintain roads capable of carrying heavy motor traffic efficiently at a cost which, equitably adjusted, would not be unreasonable.
The next point is that, as the traffic grows it becomes less and less local in character, and; therefore, the roads must be treated less and less from a purely local standpoint. The Committee was not required to make recommendations on the subject of the finance of road reconstruction, buta appears to indicate its adherence to the principle of the classification of roads and the provision of assistance, by direct grants from the Exchequer, in aid of the maintenance of the more important thoroughfares. We thus have a proper realization of the position which heavy motor traffic must be permitted to occupy and, broadly speaking, of the fact that roads must be made for the traffic and the traffic must not be cramped in order to be suitable to antiquated roads. Thus, we start on a thoroughly satisfactory basis. If on examination any of the recommendationsof the Committee appear to run counter to the general principles explained, we have strong grounds upon which to base our protests before these recommendations become law.
We must, however, remember that a free acknowledgment that our existence is justified does not amount to a general permit to make nuisances of ourselves. Damage to roads by heavy motor traffic is attributed variously to great weight, bad distribution of weight, small wheels, the effect of propulsive effort, the use of steel tyres on cambered roads, the action of solid rubber tyres in contact with the road surface, the pinching effect between twin tyres, the hardness of rubber tyres when worn, the consequences of impact and speed, and some disregard for the existing regulations. in the case of the motor omnibus, special causes of damage are stated to be, the constant passage of vehicles of identical construction ; the frequency of stopping and starting, often at fixed points ; the character of the load and the springing of the vehicles.
Regulation of Bus Traffic.
The Committee considers that, where cases of thoroughly serious road damage can be proved, the offender is generally the motorbus, the'reasons being roughly those stated above. It is realized that regulation of all heavy motor traffic by local authorities would be very difficult to apply in practice. On the other hand, motor omnibuses are already subject to c28 control as public service vehicles, requiring to be licensed as such. Further' they generally ply along s Thus, the Committee comes to the conclusion that a control.on the lines laid down in the Local Government (Emergency Provisions) Act of 1916 ought to be continued and made a permanent portion of the law. This Act provides that new routes shall only be established with the consent of the highway authority or, if that consent is unreasonably refused, with the consent of the Local GOvernment Board.
The Committee has not considered the question from the point of vieF of whether, or no, local authorities ought to make a mileage contribution by motor omnibus traffic a condition of the granting of the licence. Its attitude is dictated rather by the feeling that the motor omnibus service is local in character and calculated to do particular injury to certain roads owned by specified authorities, and, therefore, that some control is feasible and reasonable.
It is, however, felt that a multiplicity of licensing authorities is undesirable. There should be a wider local unit of administration corresponding to the wider radius of action of the motorbus. A more uniform system of licensing is required and the right of appeal to the Local Government Board is necessary. In the event of the Board consenting to the establishment of a service, it is clearly undesirable 'that the licensing authority should be able to negative the decision by withholding licences from properly constructed vehicles. The Committee considers that the use of deeper tyres and longer springs on buses, even at the expense of the additional weight entailed, would be beneficial to the roads. It does not make a definite recommendation on this subject, but it advises that the overhang behind the rear axle of a bus should be limited by law to seven-twenty-fourths of the over-all length of the vehicle.
Dimensions of Goods-carrying Vehicles.
This limitation of overhang is proposed also to apply to all heavy motorcars. A further new proposal is that the maximum over-all length of a heavy motorcar shall not exceed 26 ft. We agree that the regulation with regard to overhang is perfectlyreasonable and is, in fact, desirable from almost every point of view, but we fail to see much point in prescribing a limit of over-all length. Apparently, the Committee also considered the question of imposing regulations which would have had the effect of prescribing the minimum wheelbase in terms of over-all length. We are glad that this proposition has been abandoned. Very strong arguments are required to justify any laying down of dimensions, or interference with the freedom of designers. Unless great care is taken, natural development may be impeded and much harm done by restrictions of this class.
Vehicle Weights and Aide .Weights.