Road Transport Topics
Page 51
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in Parliament
By Our
Special Parliamentary Correspondent
ROADS AS DEFENCE UNITS.
AS Minister for the Co-ordination of Defence, Sir Thomas Inskip is to have his attention brought to the importance of roads over railways in the event of.any war emergency. The precise terms of the question which will be addressed to him are :—" Whether in view of the vulnerability of roads, in regard to receiving supplies during war, and the greater risk to railways than to roads through aeroplane attack, he will consider formulating a scheme for organizing or planning the adequate provision of roads for conveying supplies from the West Coast, or other less exposed parts, to the Metropolis." This is the first time this aspect of national defence has been brought to the notice of the Minister for the Coordination of Defence.
COST OF MOBILE POLICE.
IT has been elicited from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the Home Office, that the provision, maintenance, and running of the motor vehicles used by the Metropolitan police traffic patrols cost 239,500 during 1935. The wireless equipment of certain of the vehicles cost 2800, whilSt the special uniforms used by the drivers and crews cost about £2,600 more than the cost of ordinary uniforms.
STEERING GEAR FAILURES.
THE Minister of Transport accepts the .vieu. . expressed by a Member this week, that steering-gear failures may be the cause of many accidents with private cars and motorcycles, and has accordingly authorized the police and the Ministry's examiners to test the mechanism of such vehicles. He has circulated draft regulations to this end,
MINISTRY FAVOURS UNDERGROUND GARAGES_
"THE Ministry of Transport is pre
paredto give encouragement to local authorities to construct ' underground garages, but not with the assistance of grants. The point was made that the Minister for the Co-ordination of Defence would be interested in underground garages in air-raids.
FIRST-AID OUTFITS FOR P.S.V.s?
A PROPOSAL is to be submitted to
the Minister of Transport that he might consider advising licensing authorities that, as a condition of licensing taxicabs and other public service vehicles, they should be equipped with safety-glass and carry first-aid outfits, because, it is suggested, accidents to these types of vehicle have been increasing recently.