Road Transport Topics
Page 39
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In Parliament
By Our Special Parliamentary Correspondent SEVERE PENALTIES FOR ALTERATION OF DRIVER'S RECORDS.
O(IN being asked whether he received time to time reports from the Traffic Commissioners for the different areas, in Connection with breaches of the road traffic regulations, and whether he could give any information to the House in connection with the report of the Commissioner for the East Midland Area in regard to the alteration of the time records by employers after they had been correctly entered hy their employees, Mr. IIore-Belisha stated that he did not normally receive from the Licensing Authorities reports of these cases. The only information be had about the East Midland Area was that gained from Press reports of certain remarks which the Licensing Authority for this area was stated to have made. He explained that the Road and Rail Traffic Act, 1933, provided that any person who, with intent to deceive, altered records of this kind rendered himself liable to severe penalt
DANGER POINTS TO BE MAPPED.
THE latest idea of the Minister of Transport, with regard to road accidents, is that he is to request every local authority to keep. a map, on which toad accidents may be plotted out from week to week, in order that adequate steps to improve conditions may be taken promptly. He proposes to publish every fact of use to the public in assistingin the reduction of Toad accidents.
He is satisfied that the publicity campaign he has conducted. so far has effected a reduction in read accidents. The reduction is particularly pronounced in London, where there has been a progressive decline in spite of an increase in the number of 'motor vehicles registered.
BILL TO CONTROL RIBBON DEVELOPMENT?
THE Marquess of Lothian has given notice in the House of Lords that • on a future date he will ask the House to urge the Government to introduce legislation controlling ribbon development, in order to stop the further abuse. of the purpose for which motor roads were built. He is to propose that, pending such a Bill, a moratorium should be imposed, bra limited period, on the erection of houses within a limited distance of the main thoroughfares.
The Prime Minister, when asked a similar question in the House of Commons, would only say that the matter was not being overlooked, althorigh he would like to do something at once about it if there was time.
'PUBLICITY PREJUDICIAL TO TOLL-BRIDGE NEGOTIATIONS.
REFUSLNG to give a list of the toll bridges which it is proposed to free from toll, or of the yearly revenue des rived from each one in recent years, the Minister of Transport explained that be was afraid that the prospects of success in negotiations pending might be gravely prejudiced were he to give such particulars. Furthermore, it is not his intention to publish the revised highway code until it is submitted to Parliament for approval.
PEDESTRIAN-CROSSING REGULATIONS NOW TO BE ENFORCED.
ADECISION has been formed by Lord Trenchard, as Chief COMMiSsioncr of the Metropolitan Police, with the concurrence of the Home Secretary, that active measuresby way of prosecutions must now be undertaken for securing compliance with the Pedestrian 'Crossing .Places Regulations. Plans have been prepared for this purpose, and plain clothes officers, ijs addition to uniformed pdlice, will be employed. •
Sir John Gilmour said that a number of accidents had occurred at uncontrolled crossings. Some thousands of cases of infringement by pedestrians as well as motor drivers have been dealt with by warning, and proceedings have been taken in cases where there was evidence of dangerous or careless driving. The regulations, hawever, are to be more strictly enforced in, future on the score that the public has now had ample time to become familiar with the regulations.
ACCIDENTS THROUGH INADEQUATE ROAD LIGHTING: ASURVEY of all first-class loads in the country, to ascertain. how many have no lighting facilities, is a suggCstionthat has been made to the MiniSter of Transport by a Member. Mr. Hore-Belisha has submitted it to the Departmental Committee which he has set up on street lighting, and is asking for its report upon it. The Minister's attention was also drawn to the great number of -accidents which has taken place at night on the new Liverpool-Manchester road, because this highway is unlighted except at the main crossings. The matter is now being taken up by Lancashire County Council and the responsible lighting authorities.