III.P.s Attack Toll System
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From our Parliamentary Correspondent MR. ERNEST MARPLES, the Minister of Transport, told the Commons last week that he had now received the report of the group which had been studying the question of whether tolls are to be imposed on future motorways.
The possibility of tolls being introduced caused anxiety on both sides of the House. Mr. Norman Dodds (Labour, Erith and Crayford) asked the Minister; "Does this mean that the MI might be free, while tolls will have to be paid on other motorways? Or are all roads to have tolls in future?"
It would be very wrong to add tolls to the existing burden on the road user, who was paying far more than his fair share of taxation, said Sir Richard Pilkington (Tory, Poole).
PARKING PROBLEM ACALL for the Minister of Transport to take " drastic action" against the all-night parking of heavy goods vehicles in residential areas of London was made
in the Commons.
"With these great 10-ton and 20-ton diesel engines starting up every morning at four o'clock, it is just like hell let loose in some of the residential streets of Brixton and .other parts of London," complained Mr. Marcus Lipton, the Labour Member for Brixton. Urging Mr. Marples to take action. Mr. Lipton claimed that the law on the subject. was absolutely inadequate.
The Minister replied that the -primary. difficulty was the absence so far of sufficient off-street parking accommodation. 14e was in touch with the Metropolitan boroughs and other bodies concerned about this and other aspects of the problem. The permanent solution was off-street parking, which was the responsibility of the Metropolitan boroughs, and in that he would help all he could.
When Mr. A. C. Manuel (Labour. Central Ayrshire) suggested that private enterprise should provide garage facilities at its own expense, Mr. Marples said he thought that in most places the vehicle owners should find their own parking places.
A local authority might also provide parking places in its area, and the private owners should pay for them, added the Minister.
•ENFORCEMENT DRIVE? THE Minister of Transport is now considering whether more enforcement staff should be employed to deal with the working of excessive hours by drivers of commercial vehicles—a suggestion which was put to him by trade unions. He said in the Commons last week that enforcement of the law was a matter for the police and the Licensing Authorities, who employed some 150 special staff for the purpose.
• During the 12 months ending last September licences had been withdrawn 10 times in cases of excessive hours worked by haulage firms, added Mr. Marples. This had happened six times during the previous 12 months.