Road Transport Activities in
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PARLIAMENT
By Our Special Parliamentary Correspondent
Petrol Measuring Standards.
ONE day last week Sir N. Grattan../Doyle asked the President of the Board of Trade to state the reasons for the delay in delivery of the standard measures required forSy the work, of verifying petrol and oil-measuring instruments, what steps had been taken to expedite delivery; and when it was anticipated that the work of verification could. be commencecL
Mr. W. Graham said that the delay referred to was due to certain unexpected technical difficulties which arose. These had now been overcome and of the 1,540-standards submitted to the Department for verification 1,337 had been passed as correct.
Insuring Fanners' Vehicles.
CAPT. CAZALET asked the Minister of Transport whether he was aware-that it was necessary for a farmer deSiring•to move a tractor from one field to another, which necessitated a short journey along a road, to take out an insurance policy against third-party risks, and whether he would introduce
B34 legislation to mitigate this additional burden imposed on farmers, Mr. Herbert Morrison said: "I cannot see my way to introduce amending legislation with a view to exempting, from the provisions of Part II of the Road Traffic Act, 1930, farmers who use motor vehicles upon the public road. I understand, however, that agricultural vehicles used to a very limited extent upon the public roads may, at specially low rates, be insured against thirdparty risks in respect of such use."
Passengers' Curiosity.
SIR WILLIAM BRASS requested consideration of the suggestion that in order to inform passengers in publicserv,ice vehicles as to the speed .at which the vehicle is travelling an Order under the Road Traffic Act should be made requiring all such vehicles to carry efficient speedometers with dials placed in such positions as to be plainly visible to the passengers.
Mr. Morrison said be had no evidence of any general desire on the part of passengers to know the precise speed of the vehicle in which they were tra A Patents Inquiry.
THE President of the Board of Trade states that the committee which has been considering the law relating to patents expects to be in a position to submit its report within the course of a few weeks.
London Traffic Control.
1ITR. MORRISON made the follow ing statement :—Apart from the prop sed regulations in connection with the scheme for the control of traffic in Oxford Street, notice of which was given in the London Gazette on February 20th, the only proposal that I have under consideration at the present time affecting private cars and taxicabs is an extension of the number of streets in London in which such vehicles may not wait for any longer time than is necessary to enable persons to board them or alight therefrom. Notice of my intention to make regulations to this effect will shortly be published in the London Gazette. The regulations cannot be made until 40 days have elapsed after the publication of the notice, and during this period representations may be made by persons who would be.affeeted.
Mr. Morrison further stated that the proposed London Traffic (Oxford Street) Regulations provided for the prohibition of slow-moving traffic, including all vehicles drawn by horses or other animals, except under the conditions defined in the regulations, but these conditions would not prevent such vehicles from crossing Oxford Street or New Oxford Street, or from going to any destination in those streets.