Encouraging Road Construction
Page 26
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WE are sure that all who read the booklet "New Roads or Old?" which has been issued by the British Road Federation, will feel • inclined to convey their congratulations to that body. It follows up, in a more serious form, the arguments for road reconstruction and a fair deal for road transport, which were advanced in a humorous way in a previous publication entitled "Get a Move• On!"
It begins by pointing out that old roads are service roads, built haphazard under local control for local traffic, and, generally, unfit to meet the requirements of modern transport. Even the main trunk roads are especially inadequate. They have many cross-roads, bottle-necks and blind and dangerous corners, all types of traffic intermingle at varying speeds, and these conditions cause congestion, accident and delay.
Features Required in New Roads.
Desirable features of new roads are then enumerated. It is emphasized that road transport is, to-day, the major servant of industry—everybody, directly or indirectly, using it, and it is being slowly strangled through lack of space in which to grow. Restrictions have failed, because they attempt to make the traffic fit the streets, instead of building the latter to accommodate the traffic. Patchwork remedies touch only the fringe of the problem, and often aggravate it. In fact, • an entirely new system, designed to meet the needs of fast motor traffic, is essential in the interests of public safety, convenience, industry and national defence.
Certain suggestions for new roads, together with their cost, are given, the latter, appropriately, facing details of the receipts from motor taxation and how they have been expended.
The points regarding the value of adequate roads in war time, which were first put fgrward by The Commercial Motor, are also emphasized.