Road Transport Activities
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IN PARLIAMENT
By Our Special Parliamentary Correspondent
Route Indicators.
MHE Home Secretary was asked by Sir Percy Hurd the other day whether the London General Omnibus Co., Ltd., had complied with the police requirements conveyed to it in July, 1931, that the route of each bus must be displayed in large type at the back of the vehicle ; whether he was aware of the public inconvenience caused unless the leading stopping places were also indicated, as in the case of the older vehicles; and whether he would direct the company to meet this public need without further delay.
Mr. Stanley, Under Secretary, replied that the arrangement was that the route numbers and destination points should be clearly indicated on the near sides and on the rear of the double-deck buses of the unclosed-staircase type, and that, so far as practicable, intermediate route points or thoroughfares traversed should be displayed as well, and that all double-deck buses, whatever their type, should show particulars of these. The company had been unable to complete this programme, which was one involving it in heavy expense, but considerable progress had been made, and it was hoped to have all the buses fitted by the end of the year.
The Horse-power Tax.
UPON Mr. D. Grenfell submitting to the Chancellor of the Exchequer that the calculation had been made that a reduction of the horse-power tax on motorcars by half would mean such an increase of employment that the loss of revenue would be more than compensated by the relief of unemployment, Mr. Hore-Belisha said he had not seen the calculation, nor did he know upon what hypothesis it was based. Mr. Grenfell offered to supply the Minister with a report of the speech made by the chairman of the Singer concern, in which he elaborated this proposal.
Consolidation of Regulations.
COL. HEADLAM, Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport, stated that it was the intention, so soon as pressure of other work permitted, to consolidate the various regulations under the Road Traffic Act, where that could conveniently be done, and to issue them in a compact form.
Waterloo Bridge.
JJAVING been asked whether the Government would be prepared to pay the same percentage of the smaller cost involved in the reconditioning of Waterloo Bridge, as it had agreed to pay in respect of the larger scheme, rejected by Parliament, for rebuilding the bridge, CoL Headlam said it would not be opportune to make any statement until the London County Council had had an opportunity for considering
and discussing with the Minister the report of its consulting engineer. The Minister gave the House an undertaking, in the course of the debate on the L.C.C. Money Bill, that there could be no question of giving financial aid to a scheme to which the House had declared itself opposed. The Government was perfectly willing and anxious to discuss the matter with the county council when the time arrived.
Road and Rail Controversy.
THE question of the Rail-and-Road Conference Report was again raised in the House, but no further information as to what action the Government ,contemplated was furnished. Mr. Pike pointed out that, owing to the lack of information on this subject and hesitancy on the part of the Government to make a statement, a considerable loss of trade in forward orders was occurring in Sheffield. Mr. Pybus said he was aware that uncertainty was detrimental to certain interests, and he was pressing on as fast as he could to bring an end to the uncertainty.
Municipal View on Bus-service Appeal.
MR. GLOSSOP desired to know .what action the Minister proposed to take with regard to the letter he had received from Thurlstone Urban District Council respecting the appeal of Mr. L. Baddeley's Green and White bus Service against the decision of the Traffic Commissioners. Mr. Pybus said the council's letter was read at the opening of the inquiry into Mr. Baddeley's appeal, which was held on his behalf on October 26. In coming to a decision on the appeal he would take the views expressed by the council into due consideration, along with the other representations made at the inquiry. London Transport Bill. TR-PI House of Lords agreed to the procedure already sanctioned by the House of Commons whereby the London Transport Bill is to be carried over to next session, and if further proceeded with to be taken in Committee of the whole House. The arguments for and against the motion to carry over the Bill were somewhat similar to those heard in the House of Commons, a summary of which was given in these columns.
Traffic Signals. THE Minister has promised to see that when regulations are issued, following upon recommendations by the Departmental Committee on Traffic Signs with reference to automatic light signals for traffic, they will be given proper publicity.
Lost Property. AN allegation having been made that an envelope left in a Bristol Tramways bus was returned to its owner only on payment of a fine of £2 8s. 6d., as a result of the recent order regarding articles left in public carriages, Mr. Pybus stated that his attention had not previously been drawn to this particular case. The sum of £2 8s. 6d. was presumably the fee (which might not exceed is.) and the award to the conductor (one-eighth of the value of the article) which were payable under the present regulations when lost property was returned to its owner. The Minister stated a fortnight ago that he had already consulted the various interests concerned as to the desirability of amending the regulations, and was considering the matter in the light of their
replies. The regulations in question are the Public Service Vehicles (Lost Property) Provisional Regulations, 1931.
Production of Benzole.
THE Minister of Mines states that the average annual production of crude benzoic from coal during the past three years was 48 million gallons.