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TIME TRAVELLER
Page 24
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Our anachronistic review in celebration of the universal law...what goes around, comes around.
75 years ago: 31 July 1928
Colonel Ashley announced the creation of a Royal Commission for Road Traffic. Its responsibilities would be to consider the problems arising from congestion and possible measures that could be taken to tackle it. The group would also look at forms of public transport, and better regulation and control of the industry. Among its appointed members were the Marquis of Northampton and The Earl of Clarendon. Commercial Motor noted that the haulage industry's views were not directly represented, although drivers would be given the opportunity to put their opinions before the Commission at some point.
5o years ago: 31 July 1953 Over 70% of a total of son vehicles checked by police and transport inspectors in London over two days were found to be defective. The most common problems were steering and brakes. Twenty hauliers appeared at Luton court charged with having unroadworthy vehicles. All the defendants were found guilty and fined a total of £23, with individual fines ranging from los to Lzs. A Metropolitan police spokesman said that the road checks would continue.
25 years ago: 28 July 1978
Transport secretary William Rodgers denied claims that road safety was being threatened by a shortfall in funding for road maintenance. He said that motorway and trunk road maintenance currently cost /Som a year and would rise to L9om in 1980. The move came following a report by the Association of Metropolitan Authorities (AMA}, which said the government should carry out a review of road conditions and the effects the increasing number of vehicles with axle weights exceeding so tonnes had upon them. AMA committee chairman Shelagh Roberts said: The report reflects the widespread concern about the effects on roads of cuts in maintenance spending."