Road Transport Activities
Page 49
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IN PARLIAMENT
Parliament Rises Without Road-Rail Statement.
TTP to the last moment before Par
liament rose for the Christmas recese, the Minister of Transport was being bombarded with questions as to when the Government proposed to bring forward proposals with regard to the Salter report, but the Ministerial replies In effect went no farther than a reitera, -tion of the Government's desire to proceed as rapidly as possible with the consideration of the proposals for regulation, the financial aspect of the recommendations being such as could not be dealt with in anticipation of the Budget.
Passenger-vehicle Duties.
TR. PRICE asked the Minister of .LY1Transport if he was aware that as a result of the Appendix showing increases in licence duties of passenger vehicles, contained in the report of the Rail and Road Conference which was considered by the committee itself as outside the scope of its reference, many bus-manufacturing concerns were on short time and that unemployment was being increased owing to municipalities and others holding up orders.
Col. Headlam gave the following reply :—" I am aware that there has been some misunderstanding on this point. The members of the conference, however, in the letter over their signatures published in the Press on Monday last, have explained that the question of the licence duties to be paid by passengercarrying vehicles was outside their terms of reference."
Skidding on Frozen Roads.
-1Vr R. REMER called the attention of the Minister of Transport to a fatal motoring accident on December 7 on the main Watling Street, near Towcester, and asked if he was aware that before this accident over 50 cars and lorries had had serious skids at this spot, and that up to mid-day there had been no attempt by the local authority to sand the frozen surface. He suggested that steps should be taken to impress on all local authorities the desirability of sanding the highways as early as possible •on frosty mornings.
Colonel Headlam said a circular had been issued to all highway authorities.
More Light-signal Schemes.
J'E admitted that it would be a good thing if they could get on faster with the installation of traffic signals, and local authorities had been asked to
proceed as quickly as possible. He understood that it would not be long before some system of traffic lights would be installed in Piccadilly. He also referred to the Victoria Dock Road scheme, which was making satisfactory progress. Other large schemes, he said, existed, but for economic reasons they had had to be shelved. The reason why no action had been taken upon the two reports of the Araulree Committee was simple; there was an application in the High Court for an injunction on the Minister restraining him from giving any decision as the result of the findings of the Amulree Committee.
Kent Coastal Road.
(IN a request for the reconsideration 1elof the question of completing the coastal road between Faversham and Thanet to relieve the traffic congestion through Canterbury, Col. Headlam expressed his regret that the financial position of the Road Fund did not at present warrant the promise of assistance towards completing the road.
Main and By-roads.
APROTEST has been made against the delay in taking steps to distinguish between main and by-roads, but the Ministry of Transport cannot say anything until it has a report from the committee now examining these matters.
Petrol Prices.
MHE following question and written
answer with regard to the Prices of petrol appear in the Parliamentary papers ;—Mr. Guy asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been drawn to the pro, posals by the distributing organizations to increase the retail price of petrol by a further 2d. per gallon; whether he is aware that the c.i.f. value of petrol Imported into this country increased only by about id. per gallon during the 12 months ended September 30, 1932, and that during that period the retail price was increased by 3d.; and whether he will take steps to control the price of petrol? Mr. E. Brown, Secretary of the Mines Department, replied :—"In regard to the first part of the question. I have seen some suggestions in the Press that petrol prices may be increased, but I am not aware of the authority for such suggestions, and I have not seen any proposal by the distributing organizations. The data given in the second part of the question are substantially in accordance with the facts, but it is not possible to leave out of consideration what happened in the previous 12 months. If a comparison be made of retail prices, excluding duty, in September, 1030, and September, 1932, it will be found there has been a larger drop in retail prices than in c.i.f. values. I should not, therefore, feel justified in proposing to the Government that it should take the action suggested.' Experiments with the Use of Creosote Oil.
nUESTIONED as to the number of leetbuses or other vehicles driven on creosote oil, the price of the commodity and the approximate running cost of tuel per 100 miles, Mr. Pybue stated that the use of creosote oil as a propellant for motor vehicles was in an experimental stage and the number of vehicles using it was small. He was not in a position to give figures, Gas Engines.
ASIMILAR question relating to the use of gas engines brought the reply from the Minister that he was watching with interest the experiments which were now being carried out in the use of coca gas instead of petrol in heavy motor vehicles.
Speed Limit in Royal Parks.
THE first Commissioner of Works states that offences against the 20 m.p.h. speed-limit regulation in the royal parks during the year ended September 30 led to action being taken in 5,837 cases, 2,871 convictions being recorded. There were also 1,966 cautionary letters issued by the Commissioner of Police.
Accidents on Kingston By-pass.
TEIE Home Secretary stated that there were 241 persons injured, 12 of them fatally, in motor accidents on the Kingston by-pass road during the 12 months ceded November 30. The majority of the fatalities occurred between the Merton Spur Road and Tolworth.
One-way Traffic in London. INCREASING danger to pedestrians in the make squares of London was the basis of a suggestion to the Minister of Transport that one-way traffic should be established around those squares. Col. Headlam, the Parliamentary Secretary, stated that the Traffic Advisory Committee advised him that in the light of the experience gained this system should be introduced only where it was likely to effect some definite improvement in the condition of traffic.
Prohibition of Use of Bridges.
s-R. WELLWOOD JOHNSTON 1i1 asked the Minister whether the provisions of section 25 of the Road Traffic had been brought into operation; whether he had prescribed a form of notice to enable bridge authorities to prohibit the use of bridges by vehicles weighing more than a specified amount ; and, if not, whether he would make these provisions effective in the imme
diate future. Col. Headlam replied that this section had not yet been brought into operation owing to certain unexpected difficulties, but these, he hoped, were now in process of being settled.