Instrument Control Over Smoke and Noise Soon ?
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FROM OUR PARLIAMENTARY CORRESPONDENT
FIRST steps towards the use of instruments in the exercising of tighter control over the amount of noise and fumes from vehicles were taken last week.
The Standing Committee considering the Road Traffic Bill accepted amendments which alter the 1960 Act by ensuring that the Minister can fix definite and enforceable limits to the emission of "these nuisances," as Mr. John Hay, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport called them.
Mr. Hay explained that the amendments were intended to facilitate the introduction of more specific regulations on matters for which, until recently, there had not been available scientific methods for setting and enforcing other than very general standards.
In the new situation reached—" or which we hope shortly will be reached " —where the development of methods and instruments for measuring noise and exhaust smoke would enable the Minister to fix definite and enforceable limits, the present wording of the 1960 Act might hinder the introduction of appropriate regulations. and additional powers might be required, went on Mr. Hay.
The regulations to be made, though simple in essence, would necessarily involve some complex technical matters, and they wanted to be sure that their powers were adequate, he said. The amendments would give them those powers.
This move was welcomed by Mr. J. T. Price (Lab., Westhoughton), though he warned that unless there was better enforcement by the police the public would continue to suffer.
"The present situation regarding the emission of smoke fumes and exhaust effluvia is so bad that it has become almost a public disgrace," he maintained.
The Minister probably agrees with what I say. Whatever regulations are made, unless there are effective powers of enforcement, road users will continue to complain of the shocking conditions in which many vehicles are allowed to operate on the roads."
A good deal of heavy transport had been allowed to become foul because of failure to maintain it properly, added Mr. Price, and he complained of the fog .created not by passenger vehicles and buses but by heavy goods vehicles, and even by oil companies' tankers.