Road Transport Activities
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IN PARLIAMENT
By Our Special Parliamentary Correspondent
Abandoning London P.T. Bill?
OPINION is strengthening that the L./Government may discard the existing London Passenger Transport Bill and introduce an entirely new measure. The Prime Minister, in indicating his desire to make a statement on the subject as early as possible after the Easter adjournment, said that negotiations were now proceeding.
Banned Coach Services.
SIR PHILIP DAWSON asked the Minister of Transport whether be was aware that the Traffic Commissioners had decided to stop the Green Line Co.'s road services between London and Hertford and Bishop's Stortford. In view of the small number of trains daily between those towns and London, as compared with the frequency of the road services, and the longer time that the trains took as compared with the coaches, would Mr. Pybus arrange to review the decision at an early date? Mr. Pybus said that appeals had been lodged and were sub judice. Meanwhile, the regulations permitted continuance of the service.
Alleged Excessive Weights.
VTISCOUNT baying V suggested that internal-combustionengined heavy motorcars having not more than four wheels, but having a total axle-load of 15 tons, were being placed on the road, asked the Minister whether he would take steps to have the law enforced which prohibited such vehicles from exceeding 12 tons total weight.
Mr. Pybus stated that express provision was made in Section 27 of the Road Traffic Act for weighing vehicles on their journeys. He was giving close attention to the desirability of taking further steps to see that the law on this subject was not ignored.
Heavy Traffic on Bridge.
REFERENCE having been made by Sir W. Sugden to the amount of commercial traffic passing over the Temple Mills Bridge, Leyton, and the alleged resulting danger, the Minister said that he was aware of the substantial volume of traffic using this bridge and some time ago an improvement was effected in the lighting. Negotiations had taken place with a view to the erection of a new bridge, but, owing to the need for economy, it had been necessary to defer the scheme.
Asked if he would make sure that the present bridge was made passably usable, Mr. Pybus consented again to look into the matter.
Classifying Road Costs.
AREQUEST was made that returns of annual expenditure on highways and bridges, obtained from local authorities, should show the amounts expended under various headings, such as main
tenance, major improvements, new construction, cleansing, etc., and the extent to which such expenditure was met from the rates and from the Road Fund.
Mr. Pybus stated that the local authorities concerned were, some time ago, requested to furnish returns on the lines indicated. The first of these related to the years 1930-31, and they had not all yet been received. When tabulation had been completed, he would consider how the information could most conveniently be made public.
Railway Comment on Transport Report.
RYBUS intimated that he pro posed to issue a white palter containing the replies received from the Railway Co.'s Association and other representative organizations, the views of which on the final report of the Royal Commission on Transport were invited by his department.
Railway Lines Closed.
IN a written reply to a question, Mr. Pybus stated last week that the four main-line railway companies have, during the past three years, entirely closed six branch lines, whilst 76 routes have been closed only to passenger traffic.
Road and Rail Transport Inquiry.
IN the House of Lords, on Tuesday last. Lord Lovat made a strong &mead for the representation of local authorities on the road and rail transport committee which has been anr. minced by the Minister of Transport. -Whilst the Government was sympathetic to the proposal and gave an assurance that the interests of the ratepayers and local authorities would not be neglected, the necessity of having a small committee which would do its work rapidly was emphasized.
A promise was forthcoming that local authorities, as well as county councils, would be consulted as to their representation on the committee.
Delay int Signal Schemes.
TT was pointed out by: Mr. A. Ramsay Ithat specifications of road traffic signals adopted by municipal authorities and approved by the local representative of the Ministry of Transport were submitted to the Ministry for further approval, involving, in certain cases, delays of many months. He suggested that the procedure should be reconsidered, with the obiect of expediting decisions.
Mr. Pybus stated that the installations referred to were necessarily submitted to him for authorization under the Road Traffic Act. Proposals of this kind required close examination, but he had already given instructions that decisions should be expedited wherever possible. Mr. Ramsay then asked whether an assurance could be given that, apart from experimental apparatus, systems of. road signalling authorized and subsidized by the Government would be of British manufacture.
Mr. Pybus said that, in view of the enterprise and the progress which was being made by British manufacturers in this matter, he did not contemplate that any local authority would desire to buy foreign equipment. Mr. Ramsay remarked that there was a difference of opinion with regard to the relative efficiency of 12-in. and S-in. lenses in road-traffic signals, and asked whether optical or illuminating authorities had been consulted.
Mr. Pybus said be was aware that there were differences of opinion on this question, which was at present tinder consideration by the committee which he recently appointed to deal with traffic signs. He understood that the National Illumination Committee of Great Britain and representatives of manufacturers of light signals had been consulted in the matter.
Minor Traffic Offences.
THE Home Secretary proposes to inform chief officers of police outside the Metropolis of the action that is being taken by the Commissioner of Police as regards both procedure for dealing with minor traffic offences and the special measures he is proposing to take to prevent heavy vehicles from being driven at excessive speeds.
Bus Time-tables Again.
A TTENTION was once again called ..t to the time-tables of bus companies and alleged excessive speeds due to the necessity of keeping to a too-short timetable. The Minister of Transport pointed out that the Traffic Commissioners were under a statutory obligation to satisfy themselves that the provisions of the Road Traffic Act relating to the speeds of vehicles were not likely to be contravened, and it was their practice to examine time-tables and schedules from this point of view.