Bradford Chamber and New Roads Policy
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ARGUMENTS for a reversal of the decision by Bradford Chamber of Commerce not to support the B.R.F. in its 'advocacy of the post-war construction of 1,000 miles of new trunk roads in Britain were put forward by Mr. J. S. Neave, the Federation's secretary, at a recent meeting of the Chamber's Transport Committee. It was on this committee's recommendation that the attitude of non-support was adopted by the Chamber.
Grounds on which the recommendation was based were the cost of the suggested roads and the acreage of good land which they would take up; the importation of fuel for road transport as against the home-produced coal used by the railways; the contention that money could be better spent on the improvement and straightening of existing roads, and the suggestion that danger to life would follow the increased speeds on new roads.
Mr. Neave said that the Bradford Chamber was the only large chamber of commerce in the country to adopt an attitude of non-support of the Federation in this matter.
The construction of entirely rew roads would give such advantages in design that accidents would he reduced, adjoining land would be safeguarded by the exclusion of "ribbon " building, and the speedier movement made possible would mean a lower cost for the transport of commodities.
Mr. Neave quoted the estimate by Mr. P. J. Noel-Baker, Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport, that after the war there will be 12,000,000 mechanically propelled vehicles on Britain's roads, as compared with 3,000,000 before the war. Such a huge incredse, he suggested, would make it essential that new motorways be provided.
The committee indicated that it would reconsider the matter and then report to the full Chamber.