Road Transport Activities
Page 64
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IN PARLIAMENT
By Our Special Parliamentary Correspondent Ignition Cables and Safeguarding Duties.
TR. J. P. MORRIS called the atteniY1tion of the Financial Secretary to the Treasury to the fact that hightension ignition cables for motor vehicles which should be subject to a 33; per cent, safeguarding duty were .new being imported free into this country under the guise of cables for radio purposes. Major Elliot, Financial Secretary, said he was not aware that this was the case and, if he were given particulars of instances where ignitioii cables for motor vehicles were being imported into this country without payment of duty, he would have inquiries made.
North-Western Area Appeal.
A REQUEST was made by BrigadierLt. General Makins that the appeal of Messrs. Sharp, who run a bus service from the Hazelgrove district to Stockport and Manchester, as well as Poynton and Woodport, against the decision of the North-Western Traffic Commissioners should be taken at an early date. The Minister of Transport said that every endeavour was made to deal as quickly as possible with appeals of this nature. He said that pending the decision of an appeal the applicant was permitted to continue the service which be was operating. General Makins , asked the Minister to take into consideration the fact that Messrs. Sharp created this service and that it was the best in a large neighbourhood. He also asked if the Minister waa aware of the universal local indignation at the injustice of the decision of the Traffic Commissioners. Mr. Smithers remarked that it was only typical of many cases all over the country and Mr. Hammersley pointed out that indignation was felt by neighbouring constituencies affected by the service in question.
Plea for New Appeal System.
IN calling attention to the dissatisfaction of small bus owners regarding the decisions given against them, Mr. Wardlaw Milne asked if the Minister intended to reconsider the method by which an appeal could be made against these decisions.
Mr. Pybus said that representations had been made to him regarding the hardships inflicted on small operators whose services were curtailed or discontinued, and he had issued certain general directions to the Traffic Commissioners for all areas.
Traffic Commissioners' Reasons.
-A TR. HUTCHINSON asked the .1.V1Minister of Transport whether the reasons for the decisions of the Traffic Commissioners in refusing licences were always issued for publication and general information and, if not, whether
B46. he would arrange for this course to be followed in the future.
Mr. Pybus replied : "In eases where the decision is announced at a public sitting, many of the Traffic Commissioners state their reasons for arriving at that decision, but no arrangements have been made requiring the publication of reasons in every case. Wherever an appeal is lodged a statement of the grounds of their decision is obtained from the Commissioners and is communicated to the parties concerned before the inquiry into the appeal is held,"
Road Traffic Signals.
ANIL ROBINSON asked whether the ..L.V_Lpresent design ot traffic signal used in the West End of London was temporary, and whether, for permanent 'fixtures, arrangements would be made for the selection by open competition of an artistic design. Mr. Pybus said be had no doubt that the Departmental Committee on Road Traffic signs which was now sitting would give due consideration to the matter.
Mr. Robinson then asked whether the Minister was aware that the present system of traffic control by means of three coloured lights was confusing to motorists and dangerous to pedestrians and whether tests had been made in this country of the two-light system at present in operation in New York. He also requested that, before erecting permanent trafficcontrol standards, experiments should be made in the West End of London with the two-light system. Mr. Pybus said he would be glad to discuss the matter with Mr. Robinson, but, in any event, the question was already under consideration by the Department. Afterwards Mr. Pybus expressed the belief that light signals now being erected were mostly of British manufacture.
• Distance Between Buses.
ATTENTION was called by Mr. de Rothschild to an accident in which a woman was knocked down and killed by a relief bus following another bus at a distance of 35 yds., and the opinion of the coroner's jury that 35 yds. was quite inadequate. He asked whether the Minister would issue regulations on the question of the distance to be preserved between a main and a relief bus, following one another along the same route.
The Minister said that his attention had not been drawn to the accident, but, as at present advised, he doubted whether this was a matter which could be dealt with by regulations. The Highway Code recommended that convoy driving should he avoided.
"Certifying Officers are • Engineers."
IT was stated by Mr. Pybus that 13 certifying officers and 112 public service vehicle examiners have been appointed in the 12 traffic areas, excluding the Metropolitan area. These officials were appointed by selection and not by written examination. The certifying officers are all qualified mechanical or automobile engineers with pradtical experience. With the exception of two or three men experienced in coachwork, all the vehicle examiners are men with practical experience of motor-vehicle engineering.
Taxation Per Mile Suggested.
COld. CLIFTON BROWN, referring to the systems of special licence or taxation per mile for long-distance heavy-motor haulage adopted by Germany and America to secure revenue for road upkeep, asked the Minister of Transport if he would consider the desirability of instituting some such system in this country.
Mr. Pybus said he was aware of the stringent provisions of the recent Road Transport Order in Germany, which compelled any operator conveying goods for hire or reward over distances exceeding 50 kiloms. to obtain a licence and to charge fixed rates, but he was not aware of any system of taxation per mile for goods vehicles. He would be glad to receive any information •pos: sessed by Col. Clifton Brown. He added that tho Department was closely followjug the position in Germany.
Position of Bridge Schemes.
MHE Minister of Transport said that no work was proceeding on the Forth road bridge, on the DartfordPurileet tunnel, or on the Humber bridge. With regard to the proposed Kincardine-on-Forth bridge, the tenders obtained by the local authorities were being considered by him, but he had not yet arrived at any decision. Mr. Wallace suggested that, in view of the important nature of this scheme, it should be given priority when decisions were made. Mr. Pybus replied that he considered the scheme was a good one and he would see what could be done if funds were available.
Test Fees for Petrol Pumps.
T"question of charges levied for testing petrol pumps having been raised, the Secretary to the Board of Trade, Mr. Hore-Belisha, pointed out that petrol pumilk used in trade for sale in individual quantities not exceeding 20 gallons were required to be verified and stamped by the local authorities under the Weights and Measures Act, and the fees were fixed by Order in Council under that Act. He had ao reason to believe the fees excessive.