Road System Lags Behind
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"IT is to be deplored that the road system of this country is so far behind the technical development of the road vehicle," said Mr. A. H. Carter, of Carter Engineering Co. (Tamworth) Ltd., in his paper," 1962 Transport in Britain", which he read to the North Staffordshire Group of the Institute of Transport last week. The paper was a review and constructive criticism of the general transport structure of Britain.
He went on to say that he agreed that higher standards of road engineering are required, especially the conversion of all main roads into twin tracks. Our cities badly need a new look in the form of two-level segregation.
"That is, pedestrians 15 feet above the vehicles,"_ said Mr. Carter. "There is the alternative, where ground conditions permit, of sinking' the vehicle tracks 15 feet below ground level. In some cases, this could be the cheapest way to segregation."
Remarking that it 'appeared that• the present 18,500 route miles of the railways would be cut to less than 10,000 route miles in 10 years' time, he said that it seemed feasible that the rolling stock would be reduced and he could visualize the number of goods wagons falling to a quarter of their present total of one million.
"This could well mean the elimination of the much sought-after solution of road/rail goods transfer," said Mr. Carter. "I suggest that in 10 years' time there will be so little demand for this facility that it will disappear."
In conclusion, Mr. Carter said that roads offer the all-purpose solution which no other form of transport can achieve.