Minister Not Against Toll Roads
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AN appeal to the Government to start building national motor roads next year, and to set up a national motor-road construction corporation which should repeat in peace time the speed of airfield construction during the war, was made in the House of Commons last Friday by Mr. Ellis Smith (Lab.).
Replying, the Minster of Transport, Mr. A. T. Lennox-Boyd, said that no Ministeme Transport could be satisfied with the modest proposals he had put forward.
Sixty per cent. of the money proposed would be spent on industrial routes in industrial areas.
Whilst commending the suggestion Of Mr. Tom Proctor (Lab.) that road congestion could be relieved a little by restoring heavy traffic to the railways, the Minister said that despite this, there would be a road problem for years.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd also referred to a suggestion that new road construction be financed partly by tolls. In reply to Mr. Harold Davies (Lab.), who objected that that was "a bit of an anachronism," the Minister said: "If we assume that all the money paid by motorists should go to the construction or maintenance of motor roads, it is clearly an anachronism; but until that happens they should be asked to pay for the provision of new facilities.
"I do not believe any Government will regard the payments out of the Road Fund as any different from the ordinary Exchequer payments in any other Ministry, and it is not conceivable that any future Government will assume that money raised by motor taxation must be solely devoted to the benefit of motorists.
"Those who think," 'continued Mr. Lennox-Boyd, "that the provision of toll facilities of this kind is an anachronism would do well to ponder whether, if that is the only way in our straitened economy in which we can provide these facilities, it is not better to face that possibility."