ROAD TRANSPORT MATTERS IN PARLIAMENT.
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The Prorogation. The New Lighting Act. The Plight of the Lanarkshire Tramways. Buses to Operate from George Square, Glasgow. Prosecutions for Exhaust Noises.
By Our Special Parliamentary Correspondent.
pARLIAMENT was prorogued on December 22nd
• and the new was will commence on February 7th. During the autumn sittings only one public measure affecting road transport was passed—Mr. Lougher's Lighting Bill, which embodied Part 2 of the draft Road Traffic Bill and received the support of the Government. The Budget was the most important Parliamentary event of the year in relation to road transport interests, but a full summary of the outstanding events of the main part of the session was given in these columns in our issue for August 9th. The Road Traffic Bill has not yet been introduced, but, once again, hopes are entertained that time will be found for it in the Government programme for next session.
The New Lighting Act.
THE Road Transport Lighting Bill became an Act of Parliament on Thursday, December 22nd, and will come Into operation on April 22nd, 1928, the first day of Summer Time. The principal amendluents made in committee by the House of Lords were published in our last issue. In the two remaining stages it was possible to make further alterations, but only one or two minor amendments were agreed to. Thus, the concession made by the Commons' Committee in respect of agricultural horsed vehicles, whereby only one off-side front light (instead of two front lights hi the case of road vehicles generally) would be required, is now given the sanction of law. The attempt to compromise by limiting the concession to carts using the road to proceed from one part of the farm to another was defeated by their Lordships on a free vote. Some disappointment over this decision was felt by members of the House of Commons, who had withdrawn opposition to the Bill in anticipation of a modification of Clause 6; but it was hopeless on the eve of the last day of the session to make any protest, more especially as it was felt that the Bill must be passed. Moreover, it is doubtful whether an amendment to the Lords' amendments in the sense of limiting the concession which had been given to agricultural carts could be moved in the Commons. Apart from the provision referred to, the advantages of a uniform system of lighting throughout Great Britain were generally recognized, and it would have been a misfortune if the Bill had been further held up. The passage of the Bill will make the task of the Minister of Transport much easier when he proceeds with the Road Traffic Bill, Part 2 of which will be no longer necessary, owing to its provisions being embodied in the Lighting Bill.
Further Amendment and Explanations.
ON the report stage of the Lighting Bill in the House of Lords an amendment was made to Clause I whereby the Minister of Transport will have power, by regulations, to grant exemption, whole or partial, from the requirements of the Act in the case of vehicles used for naval, military or Air Force purposes. This is in addition to the power given to require or permit distinctive lamps to be carried for Service purposes or on police or ambulance vehicles displaying lights of such colour and used under such conditions as may be prescribed, and to prohibit similar lamps being carried by any other vehicles. On the motion for the third reading, a question arose as to the lighting of hand carts carrying ladders, and Viscount Peel expressed the opinion that they would have to carry a white light in
front and a red light at the far end of the ladder in the rear.
With regard to doubts expressed by Earl Beauchamp as to the visibility of the red light showing at the back • of a single front lamp carried by an agricultural cart, Viscount Peel observed that most of those vehicles would not be more than 6 ft. long, and the red light, in that case, would be visible from a reasonable angle. If the vehicle carried a load that substantially cut off the light from the rear, he presumed it would be held by the court that the light was not visible for a reasonable distance. He also mentioned that the Ministry of Transport considered, where there was a projecting piece of timber at the rear of a vehicle, it was essential that it should have a definite source of light attached to it, a reflector being unlikely to be attached or to remain at an angle which would secure the reflection of lights of oncoming vehicles.
The Bill, having been read a third time and the Commons having agreed to the Lords' amendments after very little discussion, the Royal assent was given to the Act.
London Taxicab Drivers.
MR. BEN SMITH addressed the following question to the Home Secretary :—Whether his attention has been called to the publication of a scheme for the enrolment of 500 niore taxicab drivers, drawn from the ranks of ex-Service men, and the statement that among the licensed drivers of to-day there is a number of undesirable persons, and that it is proposed to weed these men out very shortly, and whether, in view of the good characters which licensed drivers have to maintain or lose their licences, he can make any statement on the matter?
Sir Wm. Joynson-Flicks replied :—" I understand that such a scheme has been proposed, but I have no particulars of it. Every applicant is considered entirely on his individual merits, and the Commissioner of Police, as licensing authority, makes searching inquiries into a man's fitness, physical and moral, before granting a licence. The fact that a man obtains a licence indicates that he has passed through those inquiries satisfactorily. Whilst the grant of a licence, naturally, does not confer immunity from human frailties, London cab drivers, as a body, are, in the Commissioner's opinion, entitled to feel just resentment at a statement of general condemnation. The weeding-out is, of course, apocryphal, unless it relates to the longestablished practice under which any licensed cab driver, omnibus and tram driver or conductor who commits a serious offence imperils his licence."
Lanarkshire Tramways Co.
MR. BARR, Member for Motherwell, raised a subject which has attracted much public notice in Glasgow and Lanarkshire. He asked whether the Minister of Transport was aware that, owing to uncontrolled opposition by motor omnibus owners, subject to no statutory obligations, the Lanarkshire Tramways Co., which had operated for 24 years a tramway systeiri of 28 miles in the county of Lanark, under statutory obligations, would soon be forced to close down, thus putting out of work all their tramway employees, whose
• annual wages now amounted to £45,000, and throwing on the ratepayers the annual cost of maintaining the roadway now borne by the company ; that the company B25
itrthe past had been paying to the local authority about £13,000-annually in -relief of the rates; and whether the Minister could take any immediate action to protect the company, their employees and the ratepayers?
Col. Ashley said he had been informed by the company that the severe competition of motor omnibuses might render it necessary for them to cease working the tramways. He had no control over the issue of licences granted to omnibus proprietors, which was a matter for the licensing authorities concerned.
Waiting for Road Traffic Bill.
rp HE secretary of the Lanarkshire Tramways Co., I _L observe, in an interview with a representative of the Gla.sgow Herald, stated that the directors took a very serious view of the apparently indiscriminate issue of licences from which ensued the competition of over 200 omnibuses on the routes served by their tramways. The only hope of saving the company was the Road Traffic Bill and the way in which the Lanarkshire County Council would exercise its powers under it.
He pointed out that the company had suffered more than most tramway undertakings because the system of licensing omnibuses in Scotland operated differently from that in England. In England, licences were given under certain conditions, and the authorities had power to lay down that the omnibus fares should be slightly higher than those for tramway cars in 'certain cases. This optional power was given in the Road Traffic Bill, and if that became an Act soon and the Lanarkshire authorities acted accordingly, the tramway system might be saved from complete ruin. •
Glasgow Omnibuses.
THE decision of the Court of Session, in which the Scottish General Transport Co.. succeeded in its application to interdict the Corporation of Glasgow from preventing its stage coaches from proceeding to George Square arid from picking up or setting down passengers travelling to places outside the five-mile limit, has led to proposals by the corporation for amendment of the Road Traffic 13111 in the direction of conferring greater powers for the regulation of omnibus traffic. The tramways committee of the corporation has approved of a proposed amendment which provides that there should be a licensing authority for each city and county, including the smaller boroughs therein, instead of a licensing authority for a combination of cities and counties, It was remitted to the Parliamentary Bills committee to take steps for the amendment of the Road Traffic Bill with the following objects: (1) To confer on the licensing authority the necessary powers to limit omnibus services to what are reasonably required to meet the needs of tile travelling public and to regulate and control the working and running thereof ; (2) to confer on tramway authorities the right to object to an application for a licence or renewal of a licence for an cannitels, and to appeal, if necessary, to the Minister of Transport against the grant or renewal of the licence; and (3) to maintain all existing rights and powers of tramway authorities.
Glasgow Omnibus Employees.
MR. BUCHANAN, one of tile Glasgow Labour members, alleged that the conditions of service of many of the employees of omnibus owners in Glasgow were worse than Trade Board conditions, and requested the Minister of Transport to take some action. Col. Ashley said he had no jurisdiction in matters relating to the conditions of service of the employees of motor omnibus proprietors. Any representation should be addressed to the Minister of Labour.
Vibration and "Great Damage."
BRIGADIER-GENERAL MAKINS has a complaint against heavy motor lorries on the ground that they cause great damage to houses abutting on the roads traversed and serious inconvenience to their residents.
B26 He desired to know whether the promised "Road Transport Bill" would deal with the use and speed of those vehicles. The Brigadier-general was assured by Col. Ashley that there was some reason to hope that vibration caused by heavy traffic would decrease in the future owing to the improvements which were continually being made in road surfaces and in the design and construction of heavy motor vehicles. The proposals as to the regulation of motor vehicles were contained in the draft Road Traffic Bill, and with regard to the driving of vehicles at excessive speeds, the enforcement of the law was a matter for the police.
Noisy Exhausts and Prosecutions.
SIR A. HOLBROOK suggested that, in consequence of the regulations issued by the Minister of Transport to prevent noise by motorcyclists, prosecutions were being instituted in eases where it had been shown that the machines were fitted with the most up-to-date silencers, and that these prosecutions had failed. He asked the Minister whether he would amend the instructions in order to prevent prosecutions in cases where machines were fitted with such silencers.
Col. Ashley said that the regulations designed to prohibit the use of noisy exhausts on motor vehicles were issued in 1912 and, in his opinion, were not unreasonable. The question of the enforcement of the law was a matter for the police. Be could not see his way to amend the regulations on the lines suggested. Sir A. Holbrook pointed out that a large batch of prosecutions had recently been taken in the Midlands, and all were withdrawn owing to the fact that the machines were fitted with up-to-date silencers. Cal. Ashley pointed out that the regulations required that the silencer should be suitable and sufficient for reducing, so far es might be reasonable and practicable, the noise which would otherwise be caused by the escape of the gases, and, in his opinion, the noise from these machines had increased, was increasing, and ought to be diminished.
Sir A. Holbrook asked the Minister if he was aware that motorcycle manufacturers had offered a reward of £10,000: for a silencer which would be fully effective, and if he did not think it was very hard on motor Manufacturers that they should have to close down some of their works, as they would do. Col.'Ashley replied:— " Yes ; but my hon, friend must realize that it is much harder on people who are kept awake at night." Comdr. Kenworthy supplied a reasonable commentary when he remarked that a great deal of the noisemaking was deliberate on the part of people who thought it was rather a .fine thing to make it.
Road Development in India.
ARL WINTERTON, Under-Secretary for India, I has announced that, following a resolution adopted by the Council of State in February last, a committee, including members of the Central Legislature, has been appointed with the following terms of reference To examine the desirability of developing the road system of India and, in particular, the means by which such development could most suitably be financed ; and (2)to .consider, with due regard to the distribution of central and provincial functions, whether it is desirable that steps should be taken for the co-ordination of road development and research in -road construction by The formation of a central road board or otherwise.
Maesdu Crossing Bridge.
rp HE Minister of Transport stated that the construe tion of a bridge across the railway at Maesdu crossing, Llandudno, is part of a scheme for the making of a new road. A grant of 50 per cent, of the original estimated net cost of £25,117 was made in September, 1925. The works are now estimated to cost £29,657, based on the lowest tenders received, and the Conway Town Council has applied for an additional grant towards the extra cost. This application is under consideration.