LORD BEARSTED ADVOCATES BOLD ROAD POLICY.
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Speaking at the annual general meeting of the Shell Transport and Trading Co., Ltd., Viscount Bearsted, MC., chairman and managing director, said there is urgent need for a bold policy of road construction and maintenance. There is no gainsaying that our road system is inadequate on many accounts. It threatens to throttle road transport and, already, is a menace to the life and safety of the community. For the past 10 years there has, on balance, been no expansion at all of the amounts spent on the roads.
Congestion is having undesirable repercussions on trade and industry. The number of haulage vehicles is rigidly restricted, operators being allowed to increase the number of their vehicles only in exceptional circumstances. The revival in industrial activity has resulted in a shortage of suitable haulage vehicles, proving a source ot annoyance and embarrassment to efficient hauliers.
Licence Currency to be Lengthened.
On Wednesday of last N.L'eek the Minister of Labour and the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport received a deputation from the National Joint Conciliation Board, when it was made known that the Board had approved, in principle, the report of the committee on the regulation of wages and conditions of service.
Representations were also made concerning the desirability of making hauliers' licences of longer duration. The Minister assured the deputation that the committee's report was being actively considered.
The Parliamentary Secretary stated that the Road Traffic Bill, which is now in its last stage, would give the Minister of Transport pOwer to increase the period of the validity of licences, and assured the deputation that the Minister would exercise this power.
Dangerous-loading Charge Dismissed.
"This load was safe enough. We shall dismiss the case." This was the decision of Manchester police court magistrates when Wm. Hart, of Harpurhey, answered a summons alleging that he had driven a lorry so laden as to ba dangerous to other road users. The vehicle collided with a corporation bus; one passenger died and several were injured.
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