THE METROPOLITAN COMMISSIONER CONSIDERS RESTRICTED STREETS
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His Reply to Recommendations of the Operators' Committee TN our iisue dated Jane 9th, on page 588, we referred to the investigations that were being made by a committee of 23 operating companies and associations in the London area with the object of submitting to the Metropolitan Traffic Commissioner, in response to his request made on April 22nd, suggestions for minimizing inconvenience to passengers and additional congestion on the streets such as might result from his ruling that no public-service vehicle should stop to pick up or set down passengers on streets " restricted" under
Section 7 of the London Traffic Act, 1924. The object was to aid the Commissioner in considering the making of recommendations to the Minister of Transport for the removal of restrictions imposed under that Act.
The repOrt of the committee has been made, and attacheeto it is a number of appendices expressing the • respective opinions of some of its members. The Commissioner has made a written reply, full details of which are available.
The operating interests represented on the committee were
Aldershot and District Traction CO.' Ltd.
Bristol Tramways and Carriage Co., Ltd. Bristol Tramways and Carriage Co., Ltd. Blue Belle Motors, Ltd.
East Kent Road Car Co.
George Ewer and Co.
G.B. Motor Tours, Ltd.
Green Line Coaches, Ltd. Great Western Bigness Co., Ltd. Greyhound Motors, Ltd. Indenendent Omnibus Owners Association.
London Coastal Services, London General Omnibus Co., Ltd.
national Omnibus and Transport Co., Ltd. Maidstone and District :Victor Services, Ltd. Motor Hirers and Coach Services Association Orange Lructiry Coaches. Premier Line Coaches, Ltd. Southdown Motor Servioes, Ltd. TIllings and B.A.T., Ltd.
United Service Transport, Ltd. Westelitt-on-Sea Motor Services, Ltd. West London Coaches.
The report deals with bridges, the central area and the outer area of Loudon. Under the first heading, details are given of a census taken of coaches and other vehicles crossing London's bridges, showing that, normally, motor coaches represent about 1 per cent, of the total vehicular traffic. The recommendation is made that no restriction should be made in the use of bridges. Under the heading of the central area terminal sites on the highway are recommended, coaches to be permitted to filter through to them with the traffic flow, the use of these sites being restricted to services which have hitherto operated from points near by.
As regards the area extending six miles beyond the central area, the report suggests that on any six miles of route four picking-up points only, not less than a mile apart, be allowed on streets scheduled in the Restricted Streets Orders, and that these and the terminal points should not be common to all proprietors. Restriction as to feeder services is also suggested. The appendices are as interesting as the report, for they reveal the individual attitudes of the undertakings, often running counter to the recommendations made. The London General
Omnibus Co., Ltd., does not favour the suggestion that picking-up and terminal points should not be common to all proprietors, but thinks that until coaches can reduce to about 15 to 26 seconds their ordinary halts they should use .stations wherever possible. This company and two others submit that the establishment of stations would replace the need for feeder services.
Green Line Coaches, Ltd., feels that the report will not satisfactorily cover the special condition appertaining to the coach services operating within a 30-mile radius, and reserves its right to make separate suggestions.
The Motor Hirers and Coach Services Association draws attention to the large percentage of Green Line coaches out of the total of all coaches using Westminster Bridge.
.4 The Commissioner, in his reply, ob serves that, apart from the central area, the report does not contain any recommendations on the subject for which the committee was formed. He 19, however, making recommendations to the Minister for the removal of restrictions from parts of certain streets. As regards central London, the Commissioner proposes to follow the general directions issued to him by the Minister, as he intimated at his first public sitting on April 20th. He has found it possible to authorize a certain amount of coach traffic to proceed via Farringdon Street and Blackfriars Bridge, and he is authorizing the use by some coaches of Tabard Street as a terminal point, although it may be necessary after the current year to insist on the use of terminal facilities off the highway. Picking-up points he proposes to continue to consider on individual merits.