Road Transport Activities
Page 47
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
in PARLIAMENT
By Our Special Parliamentary Correspondent
Reducing Expenditure.
ADISCUSSION took place in the House of Commons last -week on the National Economy Bill, which relates to the reduction of assistance from the Road Fund to schemes approved for grant. Mr. Parkinson moved an amendment to delete the provision enabling Orders in Council to be made. In the slowing-down of works schemes he hoped consideration would be given to the unemployed.
Mr. Pybus, the Minister of Transport, said he had to reduce anticipated cash payments out of the Road Fund next year by nearly 148,000,000. He was also required to effect certain savings during the current financial year. Under the Finance Act, 1031, £9,000,000 was the maximum amount which might be borrowed for making advances to the Road Fund. This money was now to be met from moneys provided by the votes, except that only £7,000,000 would be thus sanctioned by the Supplementary Estimate.
The resources available must be reserved for works of urgent importance, and, as far as possible of high value from the point of view Of providing employment. He was confident that in most eases local authorities would agree to the postponement of schemes on which no work had been begun. In many cases it would be possible to complete the work on one section, thus giving a better road up to a point.
Dartford-Purfleet Tunnel.
IN normal circumstances the Ministry would have liked to carry out the Dartford-Purffeet tunnel scheme, which had received Parliamentary sanction. It was, however, to cost. £3,500,000, towards which the Road Fund was to contribute 75 per cent., or 12,625,000. In times of special economic stress, said Mr. Pybus, a new traffic facility costing so large a sum would have to wait, and, after consulting Essex and Kent County Councils, agreement had been reached that the work should be postponed for a time.
With regard to the Humber bridge, pf the cost of which—£1,750,000--the Ministry of Transport was to contribute 75 per cent., it was understood that the promoters did not intend to proceed further this session with their application for Parliamentary powers, and, in the circumstances, postponement was inevitable.
Colonel Ashley gave his support to the proposals of the Minister of Transport. He thought that the committee did not quite realize three months ago what it was sanctioning, for it had authorized not merely the £9,000.000 advanced to the Road Fund, but the whole five-years' trunk-road programme, which totalled 149,500,000 over and above the ordinary expenditure. The present Government had taken the view that this expenditure was not justified. The number of persons given work by road and bridge schemes was only a small percentage of the total unemployed. Col. Ashley thought, however, that whatever else the Minister decided to economize on, he ought not to save on road maintenance.
Road Fund to Remain Separate.
14-R. H. MORRISON said the 1VIMinister mast not claim it as a virtue that he was successful in persuading local authorities to slow down. A number of them, but by no means all, would be glad of the opportunity for going backwards instead of forwards. He thought the committee ought to be assured as to whether the schedule gave power to abolish the separate entity of the Road Fund. That, he thought, would be a retrograde act under which it would be impossible to have any reasonably consistent highway policy.
Mr. Gillett, Parliamentary Secretary, stated that there was no intention to alter the principle on which the Road Fund had been managed. The attitude of local authorities at the conferences which he had attended was that of willingness to co-operate in the policy of the Government. He also stated that there was no power in the Bill to vary the grants.
Mr. Parkinson's amendment was rejected by 286 votes to 217, and the schedule was then carried by 278 to 198.
Forth Road Bridge.
TR. MATHERS, an Edinburgh 1V_Lmember, raised the subject of the proposed road bridge over the Forth, at Rosyth. The late Minister of Transport, he said, indicated on May 19th that three month§ would be occupied with the preliminary surveys and borings, and the preparation of the engineer's report, ' The three months had expired, and, on the previous Wednesday, Mr. PybuS had said that he did not propose to incur the expense of a preliminary investigation into this alternative project for bridging the Forth.
Mr. Pybus said that whatever undertaking had been given the fact retnained that no actual work had been done on the engineering survey, except a certain amount of measurement. The survey would cost not less than 15,000, and he could spend it in a better way.
Apart from the proportion of the cost which the Ministry had promised, he understood that the local authorities concerned would probably be unable to go forward and provide their 25 per cent. of the total cost. (Mr. Pybus mentioned the sum of 16,000,000, but Mr. Johnston, late Lord Privy Seal, said the amount was about 14,000,000.) Mr. Pybus thought it was inadvisable ill the present circumstances to spend £5,000 in preliminary investigation on a scheme, the economic justification of which had, in his opinion, yet to be shown.
Foreign Road Materials.
ASUGGESTION was made that Parliament should be asked for powers to prohibit the purchase of foreign road-stone by local authorities, in view of the fact that ample supplies were available in this country. The Minister of Transport said he deplored the use of foreign road materials by municipalities, and he was issuing a further circular urging those responsible for such purchase to review the position in view of the present grave situation.
It would be appreciated that the geographical position and the exceptional transport facilities with the Continent enjoyed by certain counties made the question of seeking compulsory powers to prohibit all foreign material one of considerable difficulty. Another member suggested that the Minister should consider giving reduced grants to authorities using foreign stone.
Road Dangers.
T"question was raised by Mr. Morrison as to whether steps had been taken to secure greater safety for road traffic on the Great West Road, and Mr. Pybus replied that he was much concerned as to the number ot accidents reported on this road. Discussions had taken.. place between officials of his Department and of Middlesex County Council. He understood that an attempt was to be made to separate the opposing streams of traffic. Further measures, including the improvement of the layout of certain of the junctions, were also under consideration.
Expenditure on Motor Police.
COL. HOWARD-BURY having raised the question of the cost of the motor police and the necessary cars and motorcycles' Mr. Stanley, Under Secretary at the Home Office, made the following statement:—
" The amount of grant paidfrom the Road Fund in respect of the provision and maintenance of the vehicles in 1031 is about 154,000. A further Payment will be made later in the year in respect of vehicles provided since April 1st, but this is not likely to be a large amount. The grant for the year will ultimately be adjusted according to the mileages run in the year, but the effect on. the grant cannot, of course, he estimated until the actual mileages have been ascertained. The necessary personnel has been found for the most part without additions to the establishments of the forces.
Successful Street Signals.
MHE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT states that he is satisfied that the experimental system of traffic control in Oxford Street, London, by means of light signals, has proved its u.sefuln,ess in increasing the flow of traffic and relieving congestion.'
The saving of tin) per journey by test vehicles worked out at an average of about four minutes and an increase of nearly 50 per cent. on average speed as compared with that obtained on the first test before the regulations were made. The London Traffic Advisory Committee has been asked to consider and report upon the representations received with regard to the regulations.