Road Transport Topics IN PARLIAMENT
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By Our Special Parliamentary Correspondent
BIG GRANT FOR NEW WATERLOO BRIDGE.
BEFORE the Christmas recess Mr. 1.,H. Morrison asked the Minister of Transport whether he would review the decision to make no contribution to the cost of demolishing old Waterloo Bridge and replacing it by a new structure.
Mr. Burgin replied that, whilst no contribution could be made by the Government towards the cost of demolishing the old Waterloo Bridge, it proposed to approve a contribution from the Road Fund amounting to 60 per cent, of the cost of building the new bridge. .
Mr. Morrison said that the Government's decision, by removing a longstanding cause of disagreement, would introduce a new and happier spirit of kindly co-operation.
PROGRESS IN IMPROVING RURAL ROAD JUNCTIONS.
I N connection with the scheme for the improvement of junctions of chief roads in their rural sections by joining them at right angles, Sir Gifford Fox asked a number of questions. He desired to know how many counties had given effect to this scheme; what was the amount of State assistance given ; how much of this money had been used, and what could be reckoned as the saving in life, if the experience in Oxfordshire, at these rural junctions, was taken as the basis of computation.
Mr. Burgin replied that the highway authorities generally were dealing with these improvements in their annual programmes Of works, and that grants were made from the Road Fund at normal rates.
The information asked for in the second and third parts of the question was not readily available and its compilation would involve a great deal of research and expenditure, for which there would not, in his view, be justification. With regard to the last part, he did not think that there would be any value in a computation which must, of necessity, involve so many hypothetical factors.
ROADS RESPONSIBLE FOR FATALITIES.
GRANTS to Oxfordshire County Council, continued Mr. Burgin, were made in 1935 and 1936 of 75 per cent, of the cost,-estimatncl at 40,,000, of a comprehensive scheme for improving 58 road intersections on important Class 1 roads. Of these improvements 57 had been completed at the end of July last.
Sir G. Fox then asked the Minister whether he had considered the statement, by the surveyor to Oxfordshire County Council (a copy of which had been sent to him) , that three out of every four fatal accidents in the county, during the past four years, would not have taken place had the roads been originally designed and constructed in accordance with the interpretation of the Ministry's recently published brochure on the subject. He also wished to know whether similar views were reported from other counties, and, if so, whether the Minister would consider pressing all county councils to expedite road improvement.
Mr. Burgin said the opinions expressed by the Oxfordshire County Surveyor on accident causation were not supported by the police reports supplied to him. He had received no similar representation from other counties.
Was it the practice, inquired Sir G. Fox, of the Department to ask county councils to furnish reports as to whether road conditions, on the scenes of fatal accidents, could be improved, and, if not, would the Minister consider the desirability of introducing this policy.
All fatal accidents, replied Mr. Burgin, which were alleged to have been due to road conditions were investigated by officers attached to the divisional offices of the Ministry, and appropriate action was taken .where necessary.
TRANSPORT BOARD FOR TYNESIDE?
THE Minister was asked by Sir Nicholas Grattan-Doyle whether he was prepared to set up an inquiry into the desirability of establishing a Tyneside passenger transport board, as suggested by the Royal Commission on the unification of Tyneside Areas and, if so, whether an opportunity to prepare a case would be given to all those persons most vitally concerned.
Colonel Sandeman Allen asked a similar question, and described the persons most concerned as "all bus operators."
The reply received was that before deciding how this matter could best be examined the Minister would desire to be informed as to the views of the various local authorities and other interests concerned, which he was awaiting.
FEW ARRESTS FOR THEFTS FROM VEHICLES IN W.1.
THE Under Secretary for Home Affairs Mr. Lloyd, informed the House that, in the four police areas corresponding approximately with the W.1 postal district of London, the numbers of thefts from unattended vehicles, which were reported in 1935, were 1,203; in 1936, 1,430; and in the first 11 months of this year, 1,315. The corresponding numbers of arrests were 87, 70 and 87.
PROGRESS IN ROADIMPROVEMENT PLANS.
WITH regard to the proposed improved road between Basingstoke and Winchester, Mr. Burgin stated that a preliminary survey had been completed and it seemed that it would be possible to carry out adequate improvements in this section without any major departure from the, existing line. He was not yet able to say when improvements would be put in hand.
Referring to the work on the Newcastle-Carlisle trunk road in the vicinity of Haltwhistle, he said he had made an Order declaring the proposed diversion at Haltwhistle to be a trunk road. Work, here, would be put in hand as soon as the necessary preliminaries, including the acquisition of the land required, were completed.
A joint report, from the local authorities concerned, as to the general problem of the Tyne crossings, was being awaited.
NEW TABLE OF ROAD FATALITIES.
ATABLE has been issued by the Minister of Transport giving the total number of road fatalities in each county police district in Great Britain for the 10 months ended November 30, 1937. The total for English counties was 2,906, an increase, compared with the corresponding period of 1936, of 61 or 2.1 per cent; for Wales, 183, a decrease of 34 or 10.5 per cent. ; for Scotland, 390, an increase of 37 or 10.5 per cent. ; and for Great Britain, 3,479, an increase of 64 or 1.9 per cent. The Minister notes that he is not prepared to speculate on the reasons for the increases and decreases indicated.