ROAD TRANSPORT MATTERS IN PARLIAMENT.
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The Road Vehicles Bill to be Seen in Draft. Smoke Emission Again! A Railway Inquiry Suggested. Delays in Providing for Future Road Traffic.
By Our Special Parliamentary Correspondent.
00LONEL ASHLEY, evidently tired of criticisms and
theories about the deferred introduction of the Road Vehicles Bill, and repeated questionings by members in the House, has come to a decision which, although unusual, will be generally approved. He proposes to circulate shortly a draft of s. Bill for the purpose of discussion. It is to be understood, however, that the Government will be in no way committed to the details of the draft or to the time of its introduction. Whilst It may be taken that such a draft will embody the main proposals of the Government, a Bill is not really a Bill until it has been presented to Parliament, read a first time and ordered to be printed. In view of the exceptional circumstances, the decision to depart from the usual procedure will be welcomed by all who are interested in road traffic.
Meanwhile, the process of forecasting the provisions on the basis of the Departmental Committee's reports has been renewed, but it is well to wait until the actual draft is available. It is expected very soon and may, indeed, have appeared before this issue is published.
Roundabout Traffic.
nAPTAIN BRASS seeks the introduction of the cir cular traffic in some of the London squares, and the Minister of Transport, points out that proposals for the extension of the roundabout system at places other than those where it is now in force are under examination. He hopes that, from time to time, it will be found possible to introduce this system at other points. The number of places where the system can be operated with advantage is, however, limited, and each congested traffic point presents a separate problem for solution.
Smoke From Steam Wagons.
THE emission of smoke from steam wagons continues to disturb members of Parliament, and it has been proposed that a conference of authorities should be held to mitigate what Commander Bellairs describes as " a growing evil" in the metropolitan area. Colonel Ashley says he agrees that, in some cases, steam and smoke emitted by steam wagons and locomotives constitute both a nuisance and a danger to traffic, but hardly thinks that a conference would be the most effective way of dealing with the subject. In so far as it is a matter for the police, he is consulting with the Home Secretary. The existing law on the subject is not altogether adequate, and he hopes to deal with this aspect of the question in the proposed Bill for the better regulation of road traffic.
It is a pity that this cause of complaint should continue, because 'there are signs that many members of both Houses are determined to have drastic powers placed in the hands of the police. Unforttmately, during the coal stoppage the use of dirty fuel Made the Presence of the steam wagon in the streets conspicuous and revived a grievance which had been more or less quie 'Scent. Drivers of other types of motor vehicle are among the complainers. It might do some good if the public were told that clouds of smoke are not a necessary accompanitnent of the steam-driven vehicle, and that it is in the manner of use that occasion for complaint arises.
Roadside Petrol Pumps.
L./ IR FRANS MEYER has introduced his Bill to provide for the licensing of petrol pumps by highway authorities. It is on the lines of his last Bill dealing with this subject.
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Mudsplash Preventer.
THE compulsory use of mudsplash preventers on motor vehicles generally and especially on commercial vans and lorries has again been urged on the Minister of Transport. It is an annual and seasonal suggestion. It appears that no anti-splash device has yet been brought to the notice of the Department that has been found sufficiently effective under practical conditions to justify the introduction of legislation or the issue of regulations making the use of such devices compulsory.
Spotlights.
COLONEL DAY has been informed that the question Iof legalizing motor spotlights with a view to greater safety in foggy weather is being considered in connection with the Road Vehicles Bill.
Railway Inquiry Suggested.
L./ IR BASIL PETO has suggested to the Government that, in view of the position of the railway industry as disclosed by annual accounts of recent years, and having regard to the importance to all other industries of transport facilities supplied at a reasonable cost, a Royal Commission or Departmental Committee should be appointed to carry out an exhaustive inquiry and make recommendations for the reorganization of the railway industry. Colonel Ashley pointed out that the Railways Act of 1921 provided for an extensive reorganization of the railways, and, as important changes of this kind could not yield their full results at once, he did not consider that any such inquiry as was suggested would serve a useful purpose.
Warning Gongs at Level-crossings.
MR. CHARLETON last week drew the attention of the Minister of Transport to the rapidly increasing number of fatalities at the railway level-crossings and to the opinion contained in his inspector's report on the collision which happened at Naworth, London and North-Eastern Railway, on August 30th, 1926, respecting the general adoption of intqrlocking of signals with rossing gates. He asked whether, in the event of the opinion not being given effect to, the other suggestion contained in the same report would be, and that a warning gong would be affixed to crossing gates. This gong only operates when danger is present, can be immediately installed at little cost and provides practically all the elements of safety incorporated by the interlocking of signals with crossing gates.
Colonel Ashley said the number of persons killed in accidents at public and private level-crossings in Great Britain was 55 in 1925 and 59 in 1926. These figures show a slight diminution when compared with the corresponding average figures of 67 in the five pre-war years ending 1914, but the figures vary considerably. With regard to the particular accident mentioned, the railway company had informed him that they proposed to adopt both the recommendation as to interlocking and the suggestion as to the provision of a warning bell.
Bad Roads on Wimbledon Common.
A TTENTION has been called to the bad conditiqn _Clot* the roadway across the middle of Wimbledon Common passing the Windmill.
Colonel Ashley stated that he was familiar with the problem of the roads across the Common, which are repairable by the Wimbledon and Putney Conservators. Officers of the Department had taken part in negotiations between the Conservators and other public bodies in the hope that arrangements might be made for the transfer of the rights in question to certain highway authorities, but he regretted to say that no feasible solution had yet been found. He is not in a position to impose requirements upon or to make grants to the Conservators, who are not a highway authority.
Sir W. Davison reminded the Minister that this was the direct road from West London to Surrey and Sussex and that some steps should be taken to get this "quite impassable" roadway repaired. Colonel Ashley remarked that he personally had no authority to impose any rules or make any grants.
The Conference on Street Accidents.
91IIE Minister of Transport is receiving a report
from the London Traffic Advisory Committee on street accidents in London, and it will be available for the conference, on March 21st, of all local authorities and other bodies concerned in the metropolitan area called to consider the best means for checking the number of street accidents.
Petrol Statistics.
MEMBERS are keeping alive the subject of a petrol tax. Mr. Taylor, for instance, when inquiring as to the quantity of motor spirit consumed in the year 1926 asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what sum would have accrued to the revenue if a tax of Gd. per gallon had been in force. Mr. Churchill said that the retained imports of motor spirit in 1926 were approxi
mately 544.000,000 gallons. Official statistics were not available either of the quantity produced in this country in 1920 from crude materials or of the variation in stocks as between the beginning and end of the year. He was, therefore, unable to give the particulars.
Town-planning Schemes.
IT is officially stated that 294 urban authorities have .prepared or are preparing town-planning schemes, a number of which extend to portions of other urban areas. The number of urban authorities with a population of 10,000 or over in whose areas formal steps have not been taken in the preparation of townplanning schemes is estimated at 276. Progress in this matter has not been so rapid as it ought to have been. Traffic problems, apart from the other important considerations of health, zesthetics and convenience, demand that the development of new areas should be conceived upon well-ordered plans. One would have thought that the present-day experiences of local authorities in regard to costly widenings would have hastened steps to prevent their successors being plunged into similar heavy expenditure.
Two-seater Cabs Called for in Three Months.
JN reply to a question in the House on Thursday last on cab fares in London, the Home Secretary said that unless the concerns which are proceeding with the production of this type of vehicle put them on the road within three months he would hold himself free to reopen the whole question.