Road Transport Topics
Page 57
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In Parliament
By Our Special Parliamentary Correspondent
AUTHORITY TO STOP VEHICLES FOR WEIGHING PURPOSES.
Pr HE Flome Secretary was asked by
Mr. Herbert Williams whether it was the intention of his Department to authorize proeeedings against a driver who failed to stop, when requested to. do so by a person authorized by a highway authority (but who was not a police constable in uniform), who desired to have the vehicle weighed, under the provisions of Section 27 (1) of the Road Traffic Act. He poiated out that Section 20 (3) of that Act stated that the obligation to stop was imposed only when the re-quest was made by a police-constable in uniform.
Sir John Gilmour said that, as already explained, the Minister of Transport had authorized a special traffic sign for use by persons authorized to discharge the duty of weighing vehicles. Proceedings for failure to stop. when thus signalled, would be taken tinder Section 49 of the Road Traffic Act, 1930, under which it was an offence to disregard the indication given by a traffic sign.
DISREGARD OF COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATIONS?
MR. then inquired (i-hether such a person, in stopping a Vehicle, was having regard to the special .recommendation of the Corn mittee on the 1930 Act, to the effect that the request had to be made by a uniformed police-constable. Sir John Gilmour observed that he had no reason to believe that the practice was not working satisfactorily.
Mr. Williams again asked whether the Home Secretary was entitled to instruct a person to stop a vehicle, as distinct from giving a vehicle at rest instructions to proceed to be weighed, having regard to the discussions that took place in Committee as to the danger of persons not in uniform being authorized to stop vehicles. He desired to know what action it was proposed to take to prevent unauthorized persons from stopping vehicles, with the possible result that very unpleasant incidents might happen. Sir John Gilrnour's reply was : "As it arises I will deal with it."
INCORRECT KEEPING OF RECORDS. • I NFORMATION was sought by Mr:.
Neil • Maclean as to the number' of prosecutions instituted against 'the owners of goods vehicles for incorrect completion of drivers' records, and as to the extent which the Traffic Cornsioners had made use of their poWers to 'withdraw or to refuse to 'renew the licences of offending persons.
Mr. Hore-Belisha stated that as proceedings of this kind-might be instituted either by the police or by the Licensing Authority, he had no record of the numbers. Pending receipt of the annual reports of the Licensing Authorities, he could not say whether any licence had been revoked because of contravention of the provisions relating to records. The renewal of licences had not yet begun, as the system was still in Ls first year.
RIBBON-DEVELOPMENT BILL IN LORDS.
THE Prime Minister stated on Monday last, in the House of Commons, that the Government Bill to deal with ribbon development would be introduced in the House of LOrds in the course of the next few days.