Our Inadequate Road System
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DURING the discussion of a paper on automobile design read by Mr. M. Platt before the Institution of Automobile Engineers, a member who had just returned to this country after 20 years in America expressed some views which, although given in a humorous vein, contained much truth, Regarding our highways he said : "There are no motor roads in this country—there is nothing to show for the taxes but a network of resurfaced cow paths slashed across in places by so-called modern' highways, which are as flippantly curved and graded as the old roads they are intended to replace. Dips and donkey backs continue unadvertised in English roads, which would drive American highway departments to hysterical black-and-white checker boards 20 ft. high."
In respect of users of bicycles he said : "Squads or pairs of cyclists seen fluttering like moths in front of oncoming headlights are a terror unknown in the States." As a general comment he added: "Britons have the disconcerting habit of doing a thing wrong for a sufficient time for it to be accepted as being right."
Such criticism, whilst being somewhat exaggerated, does serve to indicate how our road system—or lack of system— strikes a keen observer with experience of the magnificent highways already built or under construction in many countries abroad. The Ministry of Transport and some of our other highway authorities appear to possess a self-satisfied complacency which requires to be rudely awakened to the vital needs of modern high-speed road vehicles: While we tinker with small by-passes and relatively minor improvements, other countries, the authorities of which possess sounder judgment and longer vision, are—so far as roads are concerned—progressing at a speed which cannot do otherwise than put us to shame.
Are we awakening to this position? So far as the public is concerned, we believe this to be the case. Comparatively few people are not travellers by road, either in public or private conveyances, arid vast numbers utilize the highways and byways for the transport of their merchandise. There is amongst them a growing feeling of resentment at the manner in which huge sums of money are being diverted from their legitimate purpose of giving to the country that of which it once proudly boasted—the finest road system in the world.