Lord Derwent Attacks Road Plans
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-WE shall look pretty silly if in a few years' time a Channel Tunnel of some sort is built faster than we can build highways on land." This was stated on Wednesday by Lord Derwent, chairman of the British Road Federation, at the annual general meeting.
He said that whereas it was planned to spend £30m. on modernizing roads in Britain during the current financial year, and a furthee150m. next year, Continental countries had far more ambitious projects in hand. The German road programme was estimated to cost about £280m. a year.
" Our leaders are failing us if. they merely echo the, ill-informed bleats of the people who say we just cannot afford to spend more on our highways and making our cities fit our traffic," he said.
Mr. Wilfrid Andrews, chairman of the Roads Campaign Council, said on Wednesday that with the abolition of petrol rationing a return to traffic jams of nightmare proportions could be expected. Modernization of the roads was a matter of urgency.
BRITAIN'S BIGGEST TYRE
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A TYRE claimed to be the biggest ever made in Britain was taken out of its 22-ton mould at the Wolverhampton factory of the Goodyear concern on Monday. Known as the Earthmover, it is a 32-ply rating Nylon tubeless cover 7 ft. 4 in. in diameter and weighing 1,656 lb. It is capable of carrying a load of 36,470 lb. at speeds of up to 30 m.p.h.
The cover will be sold for about £1,000, whereas previously tyres of this size had to be imported from the U.S.A. at approximately $3,000.
The new factory extension of the company, which was damaged by fire three weeks ago, is now fully operative again except for a few vulcanizing presses, and production has not been appreciably affected.
NEW FERRY RATES
RATES for the conveyance-of .vehicles between Ardrossan and Arran have been revised by the Caledonian Steam Packet Co., Ltd., with the launching of the new dual-purpose vessel "Glen Sannox." As from•June 1; the charges will be based on lengthinstead of weight. Vehicles of. up to .13...ft, lcnig will be charged £3 10s. return, 1344.1t. 6 in.. £4 15s., and over 14 ft. 6 in. O. These figures include the driver, but not passengers.
TAX REMOVAL BID
WITH the support of four othei Members, Mr. G. Nabarro (Cons.. Kidderminster) on Tuesday tabled a proposed new clause for the Finance Bill, which would abolish the 30-percent. purchase tax on the chassis of goods vehicles.