Road Transport Topics By Our Special In Parliament Parliamentary Correspondent
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PROGRESS OF PLATING REGULATIONS WHAT steps, asked Sir Frank VI' Sanderson, had been taken to give effect to the recommendations submitted to the Minister in May, 1938, by the Transport Advisory Council, designed to fix the maximum laden weight for each goods vehicle licensed for road haulage, and to prevent the danger of unsafe overloading?
Mr. Burgin replied that he bad circulated draft regulations, embodying the recommendations of the T.A.C„ to organizations representing those whom the Regulations would affect. So soon as certain points of drafting had been settled, he intended to circulate a further draft.
SQUARE DEAL RECOMMENDATIONS IMMINENT AGROUP of questions was addressed by Mr. Kennedy to the Minister of Transport relating to the agreements between the railways and other transport interests.
Had he yet received and considered the report of the T.A.C. on the appeal of the railways to be freed from legal requirements attached to the rates on merchandise traffic in view of the competition of coastwise shipping and road transport?
What action did the Government propose to take regarding the appeal?
Whether he had any recent information regarding a proposed agreement between railways, coastwise shipping and road transport, aimed at abandoning competition between these interests in the matter of transport rates for the carriage of merchandise traffic? Whether any Parliamentary action would be taken for the protection of the public interests concerned? , In reply, Mr. Burgin said he had not yet received the report. He understood that agreements between the railways and certain other interests had been reported to the Council and were being taken into consideration.
His remit to the Council specifically asked for advice as to what, if any, safeguards might be desirable for the protection of other interests. He added that he hoped the report would be in his hands very shortly, but he had not been given any particular dates.
SPOLIATION IN ROAD WIDENING.
I N the sanctioning, planning, or recon structing of highways, asked Mr. Sorensen, did the Minister accept as .a primary necessity the preservation of places and buildings of msthetic and antiquarian value? Was he aware that some of these had been unnecessarily endangered, injured, or destroyed, and would he make a statement respecting the disputes over Old Oxted and the Devil's Punch Bowl?
Every care was taken, came • the answer, to safeguard existing amenities and to preserve buildings of antiquarian value. He (Mr. Burgin) was not aware of the circumstances mentioned in the second part of the question nor of any relevant dispute at Old Oxted. His officers were now negotiating with the National Trust in connection with land required at the Devil's Punch Bowl for widening a section of the London-Portsmouth trunk road. THOUSANDS OF UNINSURED DRIVERS?
A TTENTION having been called by L-1Mr. Leach to the fact that many thousands of drivers were still uninsured against third-party risks, Mr. Burgin said he was unable, from official sources, to estimate the number, but, according to the evidence given to the Committee on Compulsory Insurance, the cases where third parties failed to receive compensation were not numerous. Legislation to implement the Committee's recommendations was under consideration.
NORTH CIRCULAR ROAD DELAY.
THE reason for the delay in widening the North Circular road between the Cambridge Arterial Road and Pymmes Park, Edmonton, was sought by Mr. Broad. Provisional approval, he said, was given nearly two years ago, and full details were submitted in June, 1938, since when no reply had been given. Again on January 5, 1939, at an interview with the county representatives, a final decision was promised within a few weeks.
Mr. Burgin stated that he had informed the County Council that the scheme was approved for grant. The delay in announcing a decision had been due to a number of factors, including the high proportion of the cost of property acquisition to that of the proposed road works. Estimates of the cost of the works were not received until January 14, 1939, and further explanatory details which were then asked for were received only last month.