ROAD TRANSPORT MATTERS IN PARLIAMENT.
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The Crying Need for Legislation Concerning Weak Bridges. The Question of Lower Licensing Rates for Old Engines. Slow, Traffic Proceeding Close to Kerb. Petrol Tax Returns.
By Our Special Parliamentary Correspondent.
IT may ,reasonably he asked whether, in view of the holding 'up of the Draft, Road Traffic ,Bill until the Royal Commission reports, the Government cannot find a day, before the ,General Election to pass the agreed Bridges Bill. The measure could be introduced in the House of Lords and its provisions closely examined in Committee kethat Chamber before being sent to the Commons, where, presumably, there would be little or no opposition. Reiteration of th that e plea at no time is available for much-needed legislation to remove the obstacles to modern road traffic, by giving highway authorities power to rebuild inadequate bridges Which are privately owned, is regrettable. The holding up of heavy vehicles on routes where weak bridges carry the highway is a grievance of long standing which ought
• to be taken in hand immediately, more especially when the carefully considered Bill which was presented last session is understood to have the the Ministry of approval of Transport, the county councils and the railway companies, who are the authorities chiefly concerned.
A Concrete Case. rythE matter was mentioned in the House of Com mons the other day, when Sir H. Cautley pointed out that the Southern Railway Company had given notice that the bridge at Eridge carrying the highway over the railway was unsafe for heavy traffic, this bridge being used bymotor-omnibuses for the convenience of the district. He asked what steps were proposed to bring this bridge up to the standard of modern requirements, Col. Ashley could only make a non possutnus reply! His attention had been drawn to the restrictions to traffic over the bridge and he had the question under consideration. His powers in the matter were limited, but he was anxious to promote legislation "as soon as Parliamentary time was available," to facilitate the reconstruction of weak bridges in private ownership on important roads.
Lack of Time. CIOL. ASHLEY deserves credit for the consistent kJ manner in which, he reminds those colleagues on the front bench, who frame programmes of business, that road legislation is in arrears, but they are apparently unresponsive. If, as I hear be probable, the Royal Cornnaission.should make it its first duty to consider the Government's Road Traffic Bill along with Lord Cecil's Road Vehicles Regulation Bill and issue an interim report on these legislative aspects of national transport it might be suggested that, failing other means of advancing the Bridges Bill, the rebuilding of out-of-date bridges should be linked up in its report with the Road Traffic Bill as a matter of urgency. If that were done and the report appeared within the next six months we might entertain some hope that the next Parliament might be presented with a large and useful contribution to the improvement of the existing eltaotic conditions, before the first session came to an end.
Old Engines and Lower Licence Duty. rpHE question of the extension of the 25 per cent. .1. rebate on licence duty in the ease of cars whose • engines were manufactured in 1913, or previously, to all cars with engines 10 years old has again been raised. The Minister of Transport recalled the fact e20 thatthis question was discussed on the last Finance Bill, and he then stated that before the next Budget it would be fully examined with a view to arriving at a decision whether it was possible or desirable to allow a rebate to motorcars above a certain age. He had been considering the matter.
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Slow Traffic Near the Kerb. . . . EING asked whether any instructions had been issued tot-he-Metropolitan Police with reference the by-law' of March 12th, 1914, regarding slowmoving traffic keeping near thakerb, Sir W. XoynsonHicks saidthe matter was dealt with in the General Orders of the Force, and further instructions had been given by way of memoranda. The pOlice must exercise those powers with reason, having regard to the traffic of the locality. The orders in the memorandum were that it was desirable te keep slow-running traffic to the side.
. German Coal Hydrogenation Experiments. THE Secretary for Mines, Commodore King, on being asked by Sir R. Thomas whether he had information about the measure of success attending research into the distillation of coal in Germany; whether processes were being used there which yielded a high proportion of motor spirit per ton of coal treated and whether these processes were being worked in this country, said he presumed the question related to the hydrogenation of coal and coal tar which had been extensively investigated in Germany, and by. which comparatively large quantities of motor spirit could be obtained per ton of coal treated. His latest information would indicate that commercial success had not yet beets obtained. A brief summary of the position was contained in the Report on the Economic and Financial Conditions in Germany, issued by the Department of Overseas Trade, in June last. An experimental plant for, the hydrogenation of coal was working inthis country and the Bergius process was being experimented with by the Fuel Research Department.
• Road Expenditure in Yorkshire. rIFFICIAL figures give the actual cost in the year 1....l1926-27 of the maintenance of all roads (main and district) in the area of the West Riding County Council as 11,536,000. The corresponding total for the North Riding was 1540,000. The totals include the cost of such improvements as were charged to income account.
Yield of Petrol Tax. T Ti? to November 30th the aggregate yield of the kJ petrol tax imposed in the last Budget was, in round figures,' 18,809,000. • Inadequate Lighting of Villages. . Q IR ROBERT THOMAS having pointed out that L. lighting of most villages was inadequate for safety in view of the increase in motor traffic, Col. Ashley said he thought that most drivers of motor • vehicles used their headlights when street lighting in villages was insufficient to give a clear view of the road.. His attention had not been specially drawn to accidents due to inadequate lighting.