ROAD TRANSPORT MATTERS IN PARLIAMENT.
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The Government and the Bridges Bill. Bus Fares and Services in North London. Traffic Control by Light signals.
By Our Special Parliamentary Correspondent THE Bridges Bill, which was introduced by a private member, has the support of the Government, but as several other Bills are in a similar position it is not likely that special facilities can be granted for all of them before the session concludes at the end of July. Sir F. Nelson asked the Minister of Transport whether such facilities would be given for the Bridges Bill during the present session, but Col. Ashley could not make any definite statement on the subject at present.
Unemployment in Engineering Industry.
OFFICIAL figures have been published giving the numbers of insured men and women classified as belonging to the engineering industry in Great Britain recorded as unemployed in December of each of the years 1924 to 1027. Under the heading "Construction and repair of motor vehicles, cycles and aircraft" the following figures are given:. 1924—men 13,562, women 1,209; 1925—men 13,059, women 1,073; 1926—men 16,954, women 1,388; 1927 —men 14,456, women 993. For the whole engineering trade the total for 1927 was 81,000, compared with 137,000 in 1926, 105,000 in 1925 and 115,000 in 1924.
North London Omnibus Services.
AI R. R. MORRISON again raised the question .J..V of amended schedules of omnibus companies operating on North London routes and increases of fares. He asked what routes were concerned. Co!. Ashley said that certain omnibus proprietors operating in North London had recently deposited amended schedules in respect of approved routes Nos. 29, 529 and 538, from which it appeared that certain of the fares had been increased. Mr. Morrison asked if the Minister was satisfied that the only result of all the representations from the local authorities in the North of London and of all the deputations he had received was that the people in North London were going to have reduced services and higher fares? Col. Ashley pointed out that it was within the province of local authorities to make an appeal to him and if the fares were unduly high he could order them to be lowered. Major Cra.wfurd wished to know whether, in the case of all omnibus routes in London, any increase of fares had to be assented to by the Traffic Advisory Committee and whether that body had any power of revision. Col. Ashley replied in the negative, but repeated his statement that, if any local authority in the London Traffic area thought the fares charged in that area were unduly high, they could appeal to him and if he thought their complaint was justified he could order the fares to be reduced.
Closets on Motor Coaches.
iRsteiG,LoYf NHeaadadhreas.sskedinga wreetshtei ronhistoatttetetion had been drawn to the provision in certain long-distance motor coaches of closet seats for the use of passengers, whether he had received any reports on the matter from the sanitary officers of local authorities through whose areas these vehicles passed, and what aetitm he proposed to take. Mr. Neville Chamberlain replied in the negative to the first two parts of the question, adding that he was not aware of any grounds for taking action. e26 Traffic Control by Light Signals.
TTIHE electric traffic signals in use at Arlington Street, St. James's Street and Berkeley Street, Piccadilly, the Minister of Transport states, were specially designed to meet the particular traffic conditions in this area. It is not proposed to extend the use of this particular system at present, but the desirability of making other experiments in tl'affic control by light signals is under consideration.
Complaint against Electric Horns.
THEHome Secretary was asked by Major Glyn whether his attention had been called to the increasing discomfort caused to residents in the metropolitan area by motorcar drivers using electric horns at all times of the day and night, and whether, since taximeter cabs and omnibuses only used bulb horns, the poJiee would be instructed to prosecute persons making noises that were as disturbing as they were unnecessary. Col. Ashley, who replied, stated that under the Motor Car Acts and the regulations made thereunder every motorcar was required to carry an instrument capable of giving audible and sufficient warning of the approach or position of the vehicle. Owing to the difficulty either of fixing or enforcing any definite standard of sound, he could not see his way to making regulations in the matter.
Cost of London Traffic Police.
IT is officially stated that the number of police employed on traffic ditty in the Metropolitan Police area is approximately 1,300 and the total sum paid to those officers is £420,000 a year. These figures represent about 6 per cent, of the total net cost and of the total force respectively.
American Report on Ethyl.
WIRE Under Secretary for Foreign 'Affairs has 1 promised to obtain a copy of the report of the American commission on the use of Ethyl in motor spirit and to place it in the library of the House of Commons for the information of members.
Regulation of Petrol Pumps.
A TTENTION having been called by Sir James IA-Grant to the delay in issuing the Regulations under the Weights and Measures Act of 1926 with respect to the sale of petrol from petrol pumps, Mr. H. Williams, Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade, said that certain more urgent matters had had to be dealt with before the Department concerned could proceed with the revision of the regulations. Earlier attention to the subject would only have been possible if the staff had been increased. A provisional draft of the regulations was now in the press and would shortly be puPlished. Asked whether a date could be given for the issue of the regulations in view of the fact that they had been waiting for them for two and a half years, Mr. Williams replied that in a few days they would be in a better position to see when they could be put into operation.
Devonshire Roads.
THE mileage of Class I roads in Devonshire is 667 miles, that of Class II roads 462 miles, and that of scheduled roads 1,734 miles.