Slough Ban May be Cut : Oxford Again
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FFORTS are being made by the Traders' Road Transport Association to persuade the Minister of Transport to quash the proposals for a ban on waiting by goods vehicles for collection and delivery in Slough.
Meanwhile, Oxford City Council have reopened the question of banning loading and unloading in certain streets in the centre of the city. Through the successful opposition of the T.R.T.A. and others, prohibition has been held in abeyance for over 18 months.
At Slough it was proposed to prohibit waiting for four hours a day, from 8 am, to 10 a.m. and from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Traders and operators protested vigorously, and the original plan was modified to reduce the ban to three hours a day, from 8.30 a.m. to 9.30 a.m. and from 4.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m.
The T.R.T.A. and Slough Chamber of Commerce have been negotiating with official bodies for some months and have given evidence at informal inquiries coqducted on the spot by the Ministry and other traffic authorities. As a result, it is expected that the period of prohibition will be reduced below three hours. The T.R.T.A. are still not satisfied and are pressing for the complete abandonment of the proposals.
"The stated purpose of the ban is to reduce accidents," said a representative of the Association, "but we have seen no evidence whatever that it will do so."
Oxford City Council now propose to ban loading and unloading between 11 a.m. and 1 .p.m., and 2 p.m: and 4 p.m. in 10 streets in the centre of the city. The news has been greeted by the T.R.T,A. with "alarm and dismay," and . they are seeking a meeting, in conjunction with other bodies, with the Oxford civic authorities and the Ministry of Transport.
A census conducted by the T.R.T.A. in 1953, when the prohibition was first suggested, showed that a large proportion of the essential goods for Oxford shops came from Birmingham or London. These deliveries cannot arrive until after 11 a.m., which is the starting time of one of the two proposed twohour bans.
6 CWT. BODY SAVING
TWELVE Willowbrook double-deck 60-seat bodies are to be purchased by West Bromwich Transport Committee because, it is stated, they each weigh 6 cwt. less than competitive types, although they are more expensive. Fuel savings are expected to be made. The bodies, which weigh 2 tons 12 cwt., will be mounted on Daimler chassis.
MORECAMBE SAFETY CONGRESS
THIS year's National Safety Congress is to be held at the Winter Gardens, Morecambe, from October 11-13. This venue has been chosen to suit local authorities who requested that the congress should be held occasionally in the north to reduce travelling expenses.