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WHEN he spoke to members of the Road Haulage Association a few days after his appointment as Ministersof Transport, Mr. Ernest Marples promised that he would give plenty of opportunity for experiments, particularly with the problem of road congestion. One experiment—and Mr. Marples himself has described it as such—has already been launched. Ti prohibits parking during the Christmas season at unauthorized places anywhere within the so-called pink zone in the West End of London. It also . extends the existing arrangements for restricting the loading and unloading of goods vehicles in
the same area. ,
First reports are-that traffic is flowing more freely than is usual at this tittle of the year, and that not many traders have complained because of delays in the delivery of goods. 'If opinions remain the same up to the end of the Christmas traffic scheme, which will be no later than January 16, the Minister and the authorities will pronounce the experiment a success. They will be certain to repeat it next year. They will use it as an argument and as a pattern for similar arrangements at other times of the year, and in other
districts and towns. • .
' All this is clear from the Minister's Statement introducing the scheme.. Road users, and especially commercial-vehicle operators, should therefore examine 'the course of events carefully, and be ready with suggestions and criticisms if they find genuine cause for them. The existing situatioh in Central London has forced the Government to take action; and Mr; Marples has had the courage to put his plan firmly into effect:. As a politician; he has also put the best face upon things, and by choosing his words carefully has almost made a virtue of necessity. The public are still entitled to query whether his description is completely, accurate.
Pure and Applied
Experiments, like mathematics, may be divided into two main types, the pure and the applied. The pure experiment is conducted in the laboratory or on the proving ground, and only the materials actually used are affected. Whether the result is followed up depends entirely upon whether it reveals success or failure. The other kind of experiment takes. place in the world outside. Superficially, this kind' also appears to be judged by results. These are usually difficult to express in a precise form, and the difficulty is further increased when several people have a direct interest in a verdict one way or the other.
The pink-zone scheme may appear to fall into the second category. Mr. Marples has not exactly staked his reputation on it, nor would he be disgraced if it did not come fully up to expectations. Its success would undoubtedly be much more pleasant for him. He would be the last man to claim the whole of the credit, but a good deal of it will be attributed to him whatever he may say to divert it. His official advisers, and the representatives who have been consulted among the interests involved, are equally anxious for the welfare of something which they have had a hand in shaping, or to which they have given their blessing.
When for the best of motives all the people concerned wish a plan to succeed, they will not see a flaw unless it is forced upon their notice. The reports put before them for examination will be capable of more than one interpretation, and in the circumstances nobody could be
blamed for choosing the most favourable. The pink zone may easily come to have a permanent place in the road vocabulary, like the parking meter and the Belisha beacon.
My reference to the Minister's official advisers is intended to differentiate them from the rest of the 5Orn. advisers of whom he has recently spoken. Some of these at least may have doubts about the scheme for Christmas traffic. They may at the same time be disinclined to grumble when the arrangements, as the season proceeds, seem to be ensuring the greatest happiness for the greatest number. It might clarify the situation for them if they realized that what is happening is not so much an experiment as an expedient.
An experiment of whatever type is supposed to prove something, and the pink-zone plan proves nothing. it does not prove that the traffic situation in London during the Christmas rush requires drastic treatment; that was already known. There is no need to demonstrate that congestion will be reduced if cars are not allowed to park, and if vans and lorries are kept away for the greater .part of the time that the shops are open.
All Traffic Excluded The scheme cannot go much further, unless practicallyall traffic is. excluded from the pink zone, in which case there should beno congestion at all. 'There might have been an opportunity to test whether the ban on car parking 'achieved a satisfactory result by itself, without inter-. fering.with• commercial vehicles. Perhaps there were good: reasons for not taking the Opportunity, but they still do not justify calling the measures finally ad-opted an
experiment. • . . • •
Apartfrom relieving .congestion, the purpose of the scheme has not been precisely defined. The shopping public -seem to thrive on crowds and congestion, and probably have no strong feelings about the scheme one way or the other. Those among them who would normally come to town by car are now using public transport, a good many _ of them at the peak period in. the evening. Through traffic is likely to derive some benefit from the restrictions or the outright ban on waiting vehicles. It might have been effective to divert the traveller from the main shopping streets.
At least the motorists have their parking sites, although apparently not all of them are being used to anything like full capacity. The goods-vehicle driver misguided enough to arrive while the ban is in operation has nowhere to go. It is not a complete answer to say that he should have provided for this. Where the destination is at the end of a long journey, the driver may not find it easy to estimate the time of arrival. The public can and do get to town without their cars. The goods they buy can reach the shops only by road transport.
The scheme cuts down the use of transport both by the general public and the traders, so that it can hardly be said to help them in the full sense of the word. It has not solved the problem of congestion. The authorities may have to adopt similar methods time and again in the future. Each time this happens, road users should be on their guard against taking restrictions for granted. They may find it necessary to consult each other more frequently. At present, each organization and interest, when their opinions are sought, are asked separately and submit separate replies.