Tories Seek New Records Concessions
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A MONG the amendments to come up r X before the Commons committee studying the Road Traffic Bill is Mr. Marplespromised move to exempt from record-keeping obligations the operators of small C-licensed vehicles working near their base. Mr. Geoffrey Wilson and his colleagues on the Conservative backbench 'transport committee have accordingly assumed that the time is ripe to seek a further concession and they have tabled a clause to enable carriers, when prosecuted for records offences. to be allowed the defence that they can prove they took all reasonable steps to ensure compliance, and that the offence was committed without their knowledge.
Some provoking amendments from pedestrians' champion Mr. Graham Page (Cons., Crosby) include proposals that all dangerous driving should carry disqualification. He will also ask that banning should become obligatory—not discretionary—for using a vehicle uninsured, for taking a motor vehicle without authority and for stealing a motor vehicle. He also seeks to make drivers who need spectacles to be obliged to wear them while driving.
The topical question of dangerous loads has been tackled by four Conservatives— Mr. John Farr (Harborough), Mr. William Clark (S. Nottingham), Mr. Robert Cooke (W. Bristol) and WingCommander Bullus (N. Wembley). They are seeking to give the Minister powers to make restrictions for the carrying by road of poisonous, explosive or other dangerous substances; these could lay down maximum speeds, methods of vehicle construction and orders for dealing with dangerous substances. Any person leaving a vehicle containing such substances unattended in a public place would be guilty of an offence.
LEYLAND EXPORT INCREASE
A CONSIDERABLE increase in export Pi, orders is reported by Leyland Motors, • Ltd. During the first four months of this year orders from operators in 33 countries show a 37 per cent. increase over the comparable figures for 1961.
Although the increase affects the whole range of Leyland vehicles, orders for bus chassis are particularly heavy.