Traffic Congestion Ministry Reply
Page 69
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IT is all very well for Mr. Marples to build his eyecatching motorways" you say in your Leader of Ictober 6, "but the real problem is urban congestion." his criticism overlooks the fact that £150m. is being proided by the Exchequer for major improvements on [assified roads over the next five years, and that most of us expenditure will be used for the purpose you mention -relief of urban congestion.
On another page, in an article on Maidstone and District rotor Services, Ltd., the author states that an absolute 3sentia1 to easing congestion in tit Medway Towns is nother bridge over the Medway to Rochester. Once the redway Motorway has removed the through traffic from le Medway Towns, the biggest bottleneck in Rochester ill be not the river bridge but the narrow section of trood High Street through the underline railway bridge. lans are in hand for this bottleneck to be eliminated in bout a year's time. Another pinchpoint, Mill Street in laidstone, is one of the places for which the Minister has iid he is prepared to consider a grant next year.
London, S.E.1. F. ID. BICKERTON,
Chief Information Officer, Ministry of Transport.
Groupage Service: An Operator Writes
uE read with extreme interest the article appearing on page 405 of The Commercial Motor last week under ie heading " I.T.A. Discuss Continental Haulage."
We would like to bring to the notice of your readers that van Cook have been operating a continental road ferry :rvice to main European centres for a number of years Id that we are, in fact, now operating since October 1 a groupage service" to all main towns in Holland and Test Germany. This service can cater for loads from cwt. and upwards in each direction.
In due course our groupage service will be extended to nintries other than Holland and West Germany, but in te meantime we can offer full load facilities to and from elgium, France, Austria, Switzerland and Italy, in addian to Holland and Germany.
Peckham, London. H. M. EVE,
Sales Director, Evan Cook's Depositories, Ltd.
Not The Biggest Trailer
TOUR issue of October 6 carried an item headed Giant • Trailer for Iranian Dam." The final sentence in this ated: "This feature, in effect, makes the unit the largest pipment of this type ever controlled through three mensions."
We would like to draw attention to the fact that this liter has a capacity of only 110 tons and no doubt, as it
of American manufacture, this weight is given in merican short tons of 2,000 lbs. For many years we have oduced hydraulic suspension trailers of as much as 205 itish tons capacity, which are equally capable of being ritrolled through three dimensions. They have the pro;ion for raising and lowering of the frame as well as ing arranged with adjustable width and they also incor
porate steering of all axles which, except when operating in very confined spaces, is completely automatic. Hand steering control by a bogie operator is also possible when in very difficult places, and is co-ordinated with the tractor control by means of an intercommunication system.
Dereham, Norfolk. J. L. B. CRANE,
Executive Director, Cranes (Dereham), Ltd.
25, Not 300, Mr. Callaghan \T OUR report on the Labour Party Conference quoted -IMr, Callaghan as saying that there were 300,000 C licences in existence "when B.R.S. was finally mangled." In fact, assuming that the reference is to 1956, when the final disposal of B.R.S. vehicles took place, there were 998,000 vehicles operated under C licences at that time,
The latest figure is 1,235,000 vehicles, so that the increase over the intervening period has been of the order of 25 per cent., as opposed to the 300 per cent. suggested in Mr. Callaghan's reported remarks.
The T.R.T.A. has repeatedly pointed out that there is nothing sinister in this growth, the reasons for which will be readily apparent to anyone who reads the Association's "Survey of C-licensed Vehicles."
London, W.1. H. R. FEATHERSTONE,
Secretary, Traders Road Transport Association.
Tyre Price Reductions
nURING the last few weeks statements have appeared in the trade Press regarding the reduction of tyre prices. My Association consider that these statements have not adequately dealt with the matter and wish to make it clear that the price reduction has been brought about mainly through a reduction in distributor's margins.
London, W.1. S. F. JONES,
Secretary, National Tyre Distributors Association.