Road Transport Topics
Page 66
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In Parliament
PROVISIONS OF DRIVING. LICENCES BILL.
lk /1R. STOREY'S Road Traffic (Driv1V1ing Licences) Bill was discussed on report in the House of Commons on Friday and read a third time. Clause 1 provides that a person not the holder of a driving licence issued under Part I of the Road Traffic Act, 1930, may act as steersman of a motor vehicle on which a speed limit of 5 m.p.h. is imposed. Clause 2 provides for the issue of provisional licences to enable applicants to learn to drive heavy goods vehicles. Clause 3 provides for the issue of licences appropriate to the test passed by the applicant and prescribed under Subsection 5 of Section 6 of the Road Traffic Act, 1934, and empowers the Minister to make regulations limiting the classes of vehicles to which such licences may apply.
NOTICE OF LICENCE RENEWALS.
-rHE first amendment, moved on 1 report by Sir A. Wilson, required the Authority, 'within one month of the date of the expiry of every driving licence, to remind the holder that he could not be entitled to drive a motor vehicle unless the licence was renewed on due date.
The amendment was withdrawn after a promise had been made by Captain A. Hudson that the Minister would instruct county. and county-borough councils to dispatch a reminder form a few days before a licence expired. The Minister had the power to do this under Section 30 of the Road Traffic Act, 1930, UNIFORM RENEWAL DATE UNDESIRABLE.
ANOTHER proposed new clause, moved by Sir A. Wilson, provided that all driving licences should expire on March 31. The proposal was opposed by the promoter of the Bill, Mr. Storey, and by Captain Hudson, on the ground of the grave administrative difficulties involved, and was withdrawn.
POSITION OF STEERSMEN.
ON Clause 1, Sir G. Fox moved an amendment whereby the steersman would require to be certified by the Licensing Authority, for the purposes of Section 31 of the Road Traffic Act, 1934, to be competent to control the movement of the vehicle, and to have a knowledge of the Highway Code. He said it was absurd to argue that because these vehicles were limited to 5 m.p.h. it was unnecessary to have any form of licensed steersman at all.
Captain Hudson asked the House not to agree to it. If the clause were passed without the amendment, the danger on the roads would not be in n48
By Our Special Parliamentary Correspondent
creased by the slightest degree. There were comparatively few of these vehicles and yearly they became fewer. From 2,000 to 4,000 men would be affected, including about 400 showmen, and there would be a hardship as the result. He assured the House that if the Bill went through, the Department would write to the Showmen's Guild and the Traction Engine Owners Association telling them that they were expected to see that everybody who acted as a steersman had a knowledge of the Highway Code. The amendment was withdrawn.
The Bill was read a third time.
ADDITIONAL GRANTS FOR ROAD IMPROVEMENTS.
AFTER representations from local authorities, the Minister stated that he had decided, with the approval of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, to admit, as ranking for grant from the Road Fund, the net cost of propetty required for the purpose of approving schemes of road improvements in built-up areas. The following are the rates of grant per cent, of approved net cost, the figures in parentheses being for non-built-up
areas:— • Trunk roads in county areas, for schemes in accordance with approved trunk-road standards: Group A, 80 (85); Group B, 75 (80); Group C, 66i (75).
Class I roads other than trunk roads in county areas: (a) dual carriageways and cycle tracks, group A, 66i (75); Group B, 60 (66§); Group C, 50 (60); (b) other improvements, 50 (60).
Class II and unclassified roads: 33i (50).
OVERHANGING-LOAD REGULATIONS.
WHEN asked for particulars as to VV regulations regarding the overhanging of goods on road vehicles, Mr.
Hore-Belisha pointed out that the Motor Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations provided that the weight, distribution, packing and adjustment of loads should at all times be such that no danger was likely to be caused to any person on the vehicle or on a road. Other regulations prohibited the carriage in certain Landon streets, without the consent of the police, of articles more than 36 ft. long or projecting more than 8 ft. 6 ins, to the rear. He did not think he would be justified in making these restrictions of general application throughout the
country. He added that the Road Transport Lighting Act, 1927, required an additional light to be provided, at night, where a.load projected rearwards more than 8 ft.
PARKING LIGHTS AND MICROPHONES FOR OVERTAKING.
rrIVO suggestions were made by Sir Williatin Brass—one with regard to the lighting of stationary commercial vehicles, the other with regard to the use of microphone-apparatus to attract the attention of drivers to vehicles wishing to overtake them. Ile proposed that the French 'practice of indicating the width of vehicles by providing, at each side, a lamp showing white to the front and red to the rear, should be adopted in this country. Mr. Hore-Belisha said that he had referred the whole question of the lighting regtilations to the Transport Advisory Council in order that they might make suggestions on the most modern lines, and the new regulations were to be available immediately.
With regard to the type of audible warning proposed, he was not prepared to put operators in this country to the suggested additional expense. The object of the compulsory driving mirrer was to give visual instead of audible indication of vehicles approaching from behind. The Minister added that the regulations required a driving mirror to be fitted on all motor vehicles except motorcycles. Sir Wm. Brass commented that drivers kept their eyes not on the driving mirror but on the road. Mr. Hore-Belisha remarked that if he had evidence that the present arrangements were not satisfactory he would be happy to reconsider the matter.
DELAYED HEARING OF SUMMONSES.
rrHE Minister was asked by Mr. Beni jamin Smith whether he was aware that on November 22, 1935, a traffic examiner visited the premises of Herbert W. Clarke and Sons (Erith), Ltd., and discovered six cases in connection with drivers' records, upon which summonses were subsequently issued under the Road Traffic Act, 1933, and that these summonses were not heard until March 27, 1936. Mr. Hore-Belisha replied: "The hearing of the summonses to which the defendants pleaded guilty was delayed, I understand, pending the decision Of a Divisional Court regarding the aitinissibility of records as evidence.'