ROAD TRANSPORT MATTERS IN PARLIAMENT.
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The Transport Lighting Bill. Better Signposting Asked For. A Roundabout for the Victoria Station District in London. Level Crossings in Lincoln. Advertisements in Taxicabs.
By Our Special Parliamentary Correspondent.
IT may be remembered that Mr. Laugher's Bill which embodied Part 2 of the Government's draft Road Traffic Bill was prevented from obtaining a third reading in the House of Commons just before the summer recess by the objections of Major Crawfurd. That hon. member, who has since been in South America, told me on his return the other day that his objection was based principally on the fact that the Bill had been considerably amended in Committee after the various mototting associations had approved of its provisions and his action had been generally acclaimed, particularly in respect of the concession given to agricultural vehicles in the matter of carrying a red light. He does not seek to oppose the Bill if some reasonable modification of this provision be made, and he will not further oppose the third reading if he has an assurance from the Minister of Transport that when the Bill goes to the Lords modifying amendments will he proposed by the Government.
Victoria Dock Road, Improvement.
NO arrangement has yet been arrived at with the London County Council as to the amount of that body's contribution to the cost of the Victoria Dock Road improvement schemes. Negotiations, it is stated, are in progress with the County Council and other local authorities which are interested or affected, and the Minister of Transport hopes that general agreement will be reached so that a Bill to obtain the necessary powers may be deposited next autumn. Asked whether it was intended to abandon the tidal entrance of Victoria Dock in consequence of the building of the new arterial road, Col. Ashley said that such a proposal had formed the subject of informal conversations between representatives of the Port of London Authority, and the Ministry of Transport and negotiations were still proceeding.
Employment on Road Works.
A CCORDING to official returns, 16,108 men were _Clemployed on October 30th, 1926, on major schemes of road improvement and construction approved by the Ministry of Transport for Government grant. The number of men employed on October 29th, 1927, was 12,3.54. Col. Ashley states that in spite of the completion of many of the principal items in the arterial road programme there remains a balance of about /15,000,000 to be met in respect of road works expedited for the relief of unemployment and still in progress. Of this total about £10.000,000 remains to be paid in grants from the Road Fund.
There are other large works in progress or in prospect which are not included in the above figures, and it must also be borne in mind that in allocating the revenues of the Road Fund it has been necessary to have regard to the growing burden of maintenance which falls upon the local authorities. In all the circumstances, he is not disposed at the moment to press local authorities to initiate fresh schemes for the construction of new arterial roads.
Ineffective Signposts.
OL. DAY called the attention of the Minister of 'L./Transport to the many accidents which he alleged had occurred during the past 12 months owing to the ineffective signposts on country roads and highways, and asked wh6ther he would advise all local authorities to provide bold signposts with effective lettering which could be more easily read by motor-vehicle drivers and others approaching cross-roads, and consider the introduction of legislation to appoint a central authority to deal with and control this matter.
Col. Ashley's reply was in the nature of a cold douche. He said he was not aware of the extent to which accidents might be attributable to ineffective signposts, but he did all in his power by means of grants and otherwise to encourage local authorities to erect signs conforming to patterns approved by his Department. A circular, he reminded the hon. member, was issued to all local authorities on the subject in 1921, the principles of which had been extensively adopted. The appointment of another central authority to deal with the matter appeared to him unnecessary. Col. Day asked the Minister if he did not think that owing to the great increase of motor traffic during the past six years another circular might be sent out. Col. Ashley replied, amid some cheers, "No, sir. I think that up and down the country local authorities have done remarkably well."
Western Avenue Sections.
IT HE Minister of Transport proposes shortly to con sult the L.C.C. and the local authority concerned with regard to the possibility of their putting in hand the section of the Western Avenue from Latimer Road to Old Oak Common Lane. With regard to the other sections of this arterial road he is not prepared to encourage construction at present in view of the prior claims of other improvements.
Roundabout System at Grosvenor Gardens.
CO the congestion of traffic at Victoria being again ki mentioned, the Minister of Transport stated that he had now approved a proposed roundabout system at Grosvenor Gardens and he was in communication with the Westminster City Council with a view to arranging for it to be put into experimental operation. He hoped that this scheme would provide substantial relief.
Lincoln's Level Crossings.
TR. TAYLOR has called attention to the increasing 1V_L congestion at the level crossings in the City of Lincoln, but the Minister of Transport points out that he has no scheme before him at present for the improvement of the roads crossing railways on the level in Lincoln. He is willing to bring to the notice of the L. and N.E. Railway Co. once again the suggestion that a short avoiding line on the west and east sides of the city should be constructed.
Safer Crossings at the " Angel, " London.
A TTENTION having been called to a fatal accident _tint Pentonville Road, near the "Angel," London, the Minister of Transport stated that he would be prepared favourably to consider an application by the local authority for financial assistance towards the cost of the erection of special pedestrian crossing signs near the "Angel," similar to those which were now the subject of an experiment in certain areas in the West End at points where there was either a central refuge or a crossing under the control of police officers on point duty. This is one of London's worst traffic crossings, delays there being excessive.