Road Transport Activities in Parliament
Page 63
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By
Our Special Parliamentary Correspondent, Increased Bus Fares.
ArrENTION was drawn by Mr. Lawson to the increases of bus fares on many routes in the north-eastern area, to which sanction had been given by the Traffic Commissioners. Mr. Pybus pointed out that the Commissioners had powers to attach conditions to road-service licences for securing that fares should not be unreasonable, and that, where desirable in the public interest, fares should be so fixed as to prevent wasteful competition with other forms of transport.
They also had power at any time to vary the conditions attached to the licence, and he was sure they would give careful consideration to any representation on the question of fares that might be made to them by any responsible body such as a local authority.
Mr. Macquisten asked the Minister if he was aware that his department was becoming known as "the Ministry for obstructing transport." Mr. Remer asked if it were not a fact that "this infamous Act was passed by the Socialist Government."
Safety Glass Regulations.
WITH a recent accident to an L.G.O. Co. bus in mind, Miss Cazalet asked the Minister of Transport whether he would extend to side and upper windows the regulation which will come into force on January 1st next, requiring the lower front lights of new vehicles to be of safety glass.
Mr. Pybus did not think that, in view of the unusual nature of the accident (a crane jib carried by a lorry struck the upper ;Saloon of the bus), he 6hou1d be justified in increasing the scope of the regulations. Country Carrier Championed.
THE Minister of Transport was asked by Brig.-General Clifton Brown to state why the Traffic Commissioners withdrew the licence of the local carrier at Cold Ash, near Newbury ; and whether, in view of the hardships imposed on the inhabitants by the loss of their only transport service, he would issue a licence immediately to one of the applicants.
-Mr.IFybris said that Mr. Austin, of Cold Ash, was unsuccessful in his appeal because he t (the Minister) was satisfied, and so informed the appellant, that at the time when the applications were determined by the Commissioners Mr. Austin was not in a position to operate
the services in question. Mr. Pybus understood that Mr. Austin's services were not the only ones serving Cold Ash, as two others were in operation pending decisions by the Commissioners on applications for road-service licences.
Mr. Austin had now made application in respect of a route from Newbury and Hermitage via Cold Ash (which is almost identical with the Newbury-Marlstone route previously covered), and it was the Commissioners' intention to deal with this application shortly.
"Repealing the Act."
MEE Minister of Transport is in the 1 unfortunate position of having to answer many complaints, particularly in connection with Traffic Commissioners' decisions, which have arisen out of the Road Traffic Act, in the passing of which he had no hand. Last Thursday a Labour member was impelled to ask if Mr. Pybus would consider repealing the Act.
Appeals in Southern Area.
IT has been officially stated that, leavXing out of account those which had been withdrawn, appeals bad been lodged in 106 cases against the decisions of the Southern Commissioners. Decisions had so far been announced in 44 cases, in 9 of which orders had been made on the Commissioners either reversing or modifying their decisions. Of the remaining cases, 34 were appeals against the grant (not the refusal) of licences by the Commissioners.
Simplifying Speed Limits.
MR. PYBTJS is considering the question of whether the First Schedule to the Road Traffic Act should be amended with the view mainly of reducing the number of :different speed limits. He has no power to impose special speed limits on heavy motor vehicles in urban areas in general.
London Transport Bill.
THE Prime Minister has infornied Mr. Smithers that certain discussions are proceeding in regard to the London Passenger Transport Bill, and until they are completed he can announce no decision regarding the progress of the Bill.