Minister Questioned on Many Matters
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THE Minister of Transport dealt with a series of questions in the House of Commons last week. Points arising from his replies were as follows;— The recent recommendation of the Select Committee on Estimates about the abolition of the Road Fund was being carefully considered, but a final decision had not yet been reached.
The Minister understood that the amount of benzypyrene generated through oil-engine exhaust was no greater than by petrol exhaust, and might, under ideal conditions, be appreciably less. He was not prepared to interfere with the decision, of the London Transport c28
Executive to replace trolleybuses by motorbuses, as there was no reason of overriding national importance. The number of vehicles involved was so small in relation to total London traffic that to hold up a commercial decision would be unjustifiable.
Referring to the statement by a radiologist of Weston-super-Mare Hospital that the increase in lung cancer corresponded with the growing adoption of oil engines, the Minister stated: "1 think it would be a pity if a single quotation from a single person— however eminent—were to be taken as conclusive."
Mr. Ernest Davies wondered whether there were any greater pollution from oil engines than from the coal burned to provide the electric current for trolleybuses.
The Minister promised to look into a suggestion by Maj. Anstruther-G ray that the Road Research Board's finding that conversion from trams to motorbuses reduced accidents should be brought to the attention of operators, so that they might persevere with tram abandonment.
Because the Thesiger Committee recommended against compulsion upon operators to provide bus shelters, the Minister would not introduce legislation to that effect.