Use Tax Revenue
Page 46
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for Roads" THE Road Haulage Association must try to influence the Government to use money collected from road users for highway imprOvements, said Mr. A. E. Drain, chairman of the Metropolitan and South Eastern Area of the Association, at the annual dinner of the South London Sub-area last Saturday.
Hauliers carried a tremendous volume of traffic without adding to road congestion, he declared. Over the past 10 r years, the number of vehicles operated by hauliers had increased very little, whereas the volume of traffic had increased rapidly.
It therefore seemed, added Mr. Drain, that hauliers were helping to relieve congestion rather than adding to it, a reproach sometimes made against them.
KEEPING TIPPERS WORKING: X TYRES LET DOWN
T IPPERS equipped with Michelin X
I and XY tyres were able to work under conditions which immobilized vehicles with conventional tyres. This was the experience of John Laing and Son. Ltd., with Thames Traders during the construction of the London-Birmingham motorway.
Off-the-road working was greatly assisted by reducing tyre pressures from the normal 95 psi. to 45 p.s.i. Better flotation obtained in this way enabled the driving wheels to grip in slimy mud and chalk. Fear of failure precluded the reduction of pressure of textile tyres.
After testing a Trader 7-cu.-yd. vehicle with X tyres, 20 more vehicles with similar equipment were ordered from E. L. Bouts Motors, Ltd., Wolverhampton. by John Laing.
MEN AND MACHINES WASTED THE rnen and machines engaged upon ' building the MI are being wastefully dispersed because there is not enough capital investment in the roads programme. This is stated by the British Road Federation in their monthly Bulletin. The time-lag between the pro.posal of and authority for a scheme made it essential for the announcement of a new programme now.
512 M1 COACH JOURNEYS DETWEEN November 2-December 31, LI 1959, the Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Co., Ltd., completed 512 journeys on the MI. A total of 61,984 miles was covered and 14,364 passengers carried.
On two occasions, because of fog, coaches arrived late at their destination. All other journeys were completed within schedule.
MOVEMENT MUST BE FREE
TRANSPORT is movement and must be free. When someone cannot or does not want to move, he must not hinder those who do, says Mr. Ernest Marples, Minister of Transport, in his New Year message to members of the
Road Haulage Association. •