Motorways Extolled at Luncheon Speeches
Page 19
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
AT a luncheon in London following the opening of the " Motorways for Britain " Exhibition at 22, Lower Regent Street, the chairman of the British Road Federation, Mr. G. N. Wilson, said that this was, he believed, the first public exhibition in this country of the motorways system, and he hoped that it would be seen by. many thousands of people, It was suggested, in a recent speech, he said, that the case. for motorways must_ rest on a survey of needs; no one will dispute that, but it is entirely wrong to' sirggest -that this is something stilt to be carried out. It had already been made, just tiefore the war, by the County Surveyors and other learned bodies. These put forward a virtually unanimous recommendation that at any rate a limited system of motorways should -be constructed, No one can say that the County Surveyors of „Great Britain are not fully alive -to the, practical sideof roadconstruction problems. He believed their proposals'to' be the reverse of ,impracticable theories, and, in fact, founded upon common sense and local experience. -.County and local authorities are still waiting to 'be told of the Government's intentions as to post-war road construction. Unless these he known, many plans for essential and general development are inevitably being held up'. There can be no cause for saying that road planning or construction must be postponed until the modern equipment for speedy progress is aVailahle; such equipment is available in this country in ..lavge quantities, -having been used for aerodrome construction and similar works.
. In the response made by Sir William Rootes, K.B.E. (who opened the Exhibition earlier in the day), he• said that he had long admired the work of the British Road Federation, but it
had appeared to him, that the full ejgnificance of its constructive proposals were, not fully appreciated by the Government of the day or, to some extent, by the various associations .concerned with transport in general,
Throughout his business experience, he noted that • our toad construction always lagged behind our needs. Lack of imagination, appretiation and coordination. with regard to transport development has been evident. Safety should be our roadbuilders' watchword. Bad corners must be .eliminated, fly-over bridges provided, the .nuinberof road junctions minimized, and three, line road traffic abolished. Cities and towns must be by-passed, and parking bays provided. Surely everyone who is keen to give a stimulus to the national effort will agree that motorways must have greater attentimi, just as railways need to be given the maximum faCilities to . improve their systems and raise their standards.
These two great forms of transport should march hand in hand, It would , be deplorable if the issue 'of road and .rail were allowed to sink into a question of hitter argument. Ile hoped thatthe problem would not become one of party ' politics; it should be treated in a statesmanlike manner.
Roads play not only a great part in
Our home trade, but obtaining a full share of exports; which are so essential to tile economic life of this country. "
, Few people understand haw incredibly badly. our roads are planned, and tremendous'education"Will be necessary to bring home the importance of a main arterial road policy.
Motorways, in alliance with railways, will make a valuable contribution towards the re-establishment of our agricultural and industrial' efforts.