Road Transport Activities
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IN PARLIAMENT
By Our Special Parliamentary Correspondent
ROAD TRAFFIC BILL: MANY AMENDMENTS PROPOSED.
I N the Standing Committee on the Road Traffic Bill, Mr. T. Smith moved an amendment to Clause 9, which deals with restrictions on the scope of policies covering third-party risks, to provide that an injured person should be able to recover compensation from an insurance company with which the motorist responsible for the accident held a restricted policy.
Mr. A. Roberts said he had put down a clause on the paper to render invalid third-party insurance policies which contained provisions to the effect that the liability arising under the policy should he limited to the use of a • vehicle (a) within a limited part of Great Britain ; (b) of a particular class or description ; (c) for a limited purpose; (d) by a limited class of driver ; or (e) during a time limited by reference to the hour of the day or to particular days.
INSURANCE PROPOSAL TOO WIDE.
AFTER a good deal of discussion, Mr. Stanley said the effect of the first amendment would be to put a burden on perfectly honest people which they had not hitherto had to bear. On the other hand, cases had arisen whereby injured people had been deprived of compensation, and it was for the Committee to, weigh these two aspects. In any case the amendment under discussion was too wide and he thought it would be wiser to accept the proposed new clause specifying the particular conditions which were to be excluded.
It was eventually decided to agree to the amendment, on condition that, before the Report Stage, the Minister should consider the amendment and, if necessary, narrow the limitations more in accordance with the proposed new clause.
PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS.
SIR W. BRASS afterwards moved on Clause 14 that pedestrian crossings should be marked by means of metal studs of a distinctive and uniform pattern. Colonel Headlam, Parliamentary Secretary, resisted the amendment on the ground that, in the experimental stage, it was better not to fix a definite
type of stud. He agreed that these crossings should be uniform. The amendment was withdrawn.
Later, a further amendment was accepted requiring public notice to be given of schemes for crossings which are to be submitted to the Minister.
The Committee also agreed to a pro posal to enable the Minister to make advances from the Road Fund for the "maintenance or operation" of weighbridges, in addition to the " provision " of weighbridges under the Road Traffic Act, 1930.
ELIMINATING EXPRESS CARRIAGES CLAUSE DROPPED.
ON Clause 16, which declared that public-service vehicles should, instead of being divided into three classes, be divided into stage carriages (motor vehicles operating for hire or reward at separate fares) and contract carriages, Mr. Stanley said he was asking the Committee to omit this clause.
Its object was to do away with the distinction between stage and express carriages in the 1930 Act. It was purely for the purpose of administrative convenience and he made a promise to the operators, at the time, that if they thought they might suffer from the abolition of the distinction, he would drop the suggestion. He had consulted with them, and they were rather nervous that the complete abolition of the distinction might result in some disadvantage to them.
He had, therefore, substituted a new clause, which would come up later, This would have the 'effect of aearing up some of the difficulties which now arose, and it was quite satisfactory to the operators as well as to himself. The clause in the Bill was accordingly negatived.
EXEMPTION FROM HOLDING PUBLIC SITTINGS.
rAN Clause 17, questions arose as to Lithe advisability of making it nonobligatory on the part of the Commissioners to hold a public sitting for the hearing or determination of an application for a licence for a service that would not run more than six times in any 12 months, the passengers being carried only at day-return fares. Mr. Stanley observed that the clause was put in entirely for the convenience of the operators, and the purpose was to limit the matter to emergency services. The clause was agreed to.
On Clause 18, which does away with the necessity, in the case of services through corridor areas, of having a formal inquiry and backing from the Commissioners in all the various areas, and leaves it to consultation between
the Commissioners concerned, it was agreed that a halt at any place on the journey should not exceed 15 minutes.
SPEEDOMETERS IN EVIDENCE : AMENDMENT FAILS.
AN amendment was moved by Mr. Stanley, in the name of the Home Secretary, to provide that a speedometer, after being tested, might be submitted in evidence in a court, at the instance of a Chief Officer of Police. The proposal met with the general disapproval of the committee. The Minister withdrew the amendment, but reserved the right to bring forward another proposal on report.
The Minister's new proposals regarding contract carriages (which have already been published) were agreed to.
. CLASSIFICATION OF PUBLIC SERVICE VEHICLES.
THE following new clause regarding the classification of public service vehicles was also agreed to on the
motion of Mr. Stanley .
following paragraphs shall be substituted for paragraphs laj and ib) of sub-section II) of Section. 61 of the principal Act (which relates to the classification of public service vehieles):— " (a). Stage carriages; that is to say motor vehicles carrying passengers for hire or reward at separate fares and not being express carriages as hereinafter defined; Express carriages; that Is to say motor vehicles carrying passengers for 'hire or reward at separate fares none of which -is less than One 9/1I11Illg On such greater sum as may be prescribed.
For the purposes of this paragrapS-0) a 'composite fare for more than one iourney shall not be regarded as representing the aggregate of fares of any less amount; and (it) no account shall be taken of any fare which is charged in the case of children, or of wvorkmen, or of students, if a fare of one shilling, or of such greater sum as may be prescribed, Cr more, is charged ior the like service in the case of all passengers not falling within any of those descriptions."
FINANCE BILL DISCUSSIONS.
-IN Committee on the Finance Bill, an 'amendment was moved whereby tractors, agricultural tractors and agricultural engines used on roads for the • haulage of the produce of or articles required for the purposes of agricultural land, and tractors registered in the name of a timber merchant and used solely for hauling native timber, would .come under a special scale of duty of £12 not exceeding 5 tons weight unladen, £.20 not exceeding 10 tons, and :V for each additional ton or part of a ton. The Minister of Transport, in resisting the amendment, pointed out that those vehicles did more damage to the roads than did other normal vehicles. He was preparedto listen to any fact regarding the amount of damage done to the roads that might be supplied at. a later stage, and the extent to which such vehicles could be used when equipped with pneumatic tyres. The amendment was withdrawn.
Another amendment was designed to reduce the rates of steam and coalgas vehicles, but was rejected.
An amendment was agreed to exempting from the trailer duty appliances not exceeding 5 cwt. in weight, constructed and used solely for distributing on the road loose, untreated, gritting material,