ROAD TRANSPORT MATTERS IN PARLIAMENT.
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Some Representative Opinions on the Budget Proposals. Experiments in Road Construction. The Road Scheme for London Docks. Public Vehicle Restrictions. No Advertisements in Cabs.
By Our Special Parliamentary Correspondent.
T HAVE sought the opinions of a few members of 1 Parliament on both sides of the House, whose views may be taken as typickl of those of various sections of hack-bench members. Captain Dixey, the Conservative member for Penrith; said that, unless sufficient grants were given for the upkeep of rural roads, he and one or two Conservative members and some Liberals were going to press for Class A roads being taken over by the Government. As at present 50 per cent. of the cost had to be borne by the county councils, they considered the time had arrived when the Government ought to realize their responsibility and take over those roads, as the ratepayers could not afford to keep up their contributions in order to maintain the roads in a proper state of repair.
He expressed himself as in agreement with the new taxes on chars-a-banes, but was opposed to the increase on heavy vehicles used for trade on the ground that it was a further tax on industry. They might just as well have a straight tax on the employer of labour. This latter view is shared by a number of other members, although it is doubtful whether the view is held strongly. enough in the Conservative ranks to persuade the Chancellor to modify his proposals to any substantial extent.
Some Representative Opinions on the Budget.
COLONEL 'DAY, the Labour member for Central Southwark, candidly described Mr. Churchill's action as absolute brazen-faced plunder and robbery of the Road Fund. Some of,the roads, he said, were in a terrible condition and if some of the money taken from the motor owners was used for the purpose of widening roads and making corners more easy to got round it would be a great benefit to the country and to traffic generally, whilst getting rid of 'much existing danger. He was of opinion that the 'present taxes on heavy vehicles should be doubled, because they were an absolute danger to all motorists in narrow roads. He had seen roads freshly laid down and traction engines going along and tearing them to pieces.
Making the Roads Improvement Act a Dead Letter. .
TR. ROBERT MORRISON, Co-operative member 1.11for North Tottenham, who acted as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Mr. Gosling, Minister of Transport in the Labour Government, said the thing that impressed him most with regard to the Road Fund proposals was that a very useful little Act called the Roads Improvement Act was passed last session but had remained a dead letter, and was likely to remain so, in consequence of this raid on the Road Fund. The Act made it possible for the Minister of Transport to remove blind corners and gave further powers with regard to general widening of roads and the abolition of tolls. These powers were going to remain a dead letter.
The proposal of the Chancellor also meant, if not the abandonment, at least the considerable postponement, of several schemes which had been under consideration for 'a long time and which people interested in transport problems understood were to be carried out without delay.
For example, he mentioned the proposed road from Aldgate to the Docks, which would save several million pounds a year to business people by abolishing delays, the tunnel under the Thames connecting Kent and Essex, the Manchester to Liverpool road, and the proposed road bridges over the Forth and the Tay. These, he took it, must be regarded as dead for the time being, With regard to the motor taxes, he thought some increase was certainly justified, 'but the proposed increases, in his opinion, were unduly drastic and had been made as the result of pressure on the part of the railway companies in an attempt to minimize road transport competition with the railways.
Supporting the Chancellor's Proposals.
1T R. E. T. CAMPBELL, Conservative member for .1.11N.W. Camberwell, said he considered that the taxation of the heavy motor lorries, chars-a-bancs, etc., would be a tremendous advantage, as there was no doubt that the lighter cars were at a disadvantage. If the heavy motor lorries were sufficiently taxed, it might give the railways, with which they were in competition, a better chance of competing fairly. With regard to the Road Fund, he considered it the property of the taxpayer, and, at the present time, when every penny was needed, the Chancellor was amply justified in taking a portion.
Justifying the •Raid.
THE following views were expressed in the early stages of the Budget debate :—Mr. 'Harmsworth, Conservative member for Isle of Thanet, said he was convinced that the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in his raid on the Road Fund, had been extremely fair. If the principle that all the motor tax money should be expended on roads were carried out in respect of other taxes the position of the Chancellor would be impossible.
Major Kindersley, Conservative member for Ilitchin, considered that, beyond a certain point, they could n* earmark revenue. Although started for the roads, the Fund had-grown out of all recognition, and in the pressure from which the country was suffering to-day the Chancellor of the Exchequer had not done anything contrary to sound finance or Parliamentary pledges.
Money Required for Freeing of Tolls.
ATR. PENNY, Conservative member for Kingston..I.Yluport-Thames, thought the Chancellor should be-a little more generous in the provision made for the repair and upkeep of roads. A generous allocation should be made for _freeing toll-gates and bridges and the clearing away of dangerous corners.
Mr. Kidd, Conservative member for Linlithgow, considered that the Chancellor of the Exchequer had acted quite rightly with regard to the Road Fund.
Objections to the Raid.
1TH. PETHICK-LAWRENCE, Labour member for ....V_LLeieester W., opposed the Road Fund proposals because far more money than was now being spent was required for the roads.
Mr. Morris, Liberal member for Cardigan, opposed the raid on the Road Fund on the ground that it would injuriously affect local authorities.
Major WLean, Conservative member for Norfolk S.W., complained that no distinction was being made in the -new scale of motor vehicle taxation between vehicles with rubber tyres and vehicles without them. He pointed to the greater damage resulting from the latter class of vehicles.
Experiments in Road Construction.
IT appears that no payments have yet been made from the Road Fund under last year's Roads Improvement Act for experiments in road construction. This matter was regarded as of very great urgency when the Bill was before Parliament and it is even more urgent to-day. We are assured that consideration is now being given to a programme of experimental work which it is hoped to carry out during the present financial year. As the year has only just commenced, the margin of time is ample for the commencement of a really substantial series of practical experiments.
The tabulated results of observations of traffic and weather influences, as well as non-skid and other qualities of the different types or surfaces cannot be expected for a considerable time. It is all the more necessary, therefore, that the programme at least should be settled without undue delay.
Dock Road Scheme.
FURTHER questions have been addressed to the Minister of Transport with regard to the proposed great road scheme for improving access to the Victoria Docks. The effect of the replies is that, owing to the very heavy cost and the necessity for legislation, there is no prospect of the scheme being advanced in the very near future.
Tramways and Road Improvements.
CONSIDERABLE progress, it is officially stated, has been made with the widening of Ferry Lane, Walthamstow and the reconstruction of the Walthamstow Council's tramway track. The improvement of the length of Ferry Lane in Tottenham is, however, still in suspense, no agreement having been reached on the possible connection of the tramways on the Middlesex and Essex sides of the River Lea.
Police Instructions Confidential.
AREQUEST has been made for the publication of the administrative instructions issued to the Metropolitan Police within the last two years on the subject of motoring offences. The Home Secretary, in refusing the request, said such instructions issued for the guidance of the Metropolitan Police were necessarily confidential and must be confined to members of the force.
Limitation of Public Vehicles.
IN view of the limitation of London omnibus services, it has been suggested by Mr. Briant that there should similarly be a limitation of the use of the thoroughfares by private cars, chars-k-bancs and other motor vehicles, the number of which is increasing at a very rapid rate. Colonel Ashley pointed out that the London Traffic Act, 1924, conferred on him special powers with regard to the limitation of omnibus journeys which did not apply to other classes of traffic. He was doing all he could for the relief of the more congested streets by improved methods of traffic control. Colonel Applin considered that a char-à-banes was in the same category as an omnibus, as it carried people for fares, but the Minister of Transport remarked that he had not the powers with regard to chars-it-bancs under the London Traffic Act. Sir Frederick Hall wanted an admission from the Minister that there should be a similar reduction in the number of tramcars and that it was unfair to reduce the omnibuses in order to finance the trams. Colonel 'Ashley regarded the criticism as one against the London Traffic Act. Sir Harry Brittain expressed the opinion that heavy horse-drawn traffic was a worse offender than either omnibuses or trams.
Advertisements in Taxicabs.
rpIIE reason why advertisements in taxicabs are not permitted is, in the words of the Home Secretary, that taxicabs resemble private vehicles in that they are reserved exclusively for the use of the hirer for the c26
time being and it is thought that advertisements in them would be regarded as objectionable by the cab-riding public. It might be reasonable enough to permit one or two small advertisements, but there would be very little revenue in it. The cab would have to be covered inside and out with placards to produce that "substantial reduction of fares" which Major Roper suggested to the Home Secretary would result from cancelling the regulation against advertisements. Heaven forbid that one of the last refuges of the travelling public from the ever-present advertisements of baby's foods, soaps, beer, whisky and cigarettes should be swept away !
Compulsory Insurance.
ARL RUSSELL has again introduced in the House
'4 of Lords his Bill to make provision for the compulsory insurance of motor vehicles and it has been read a first time. Last year he submitted the Bill for the purpose of having the subject ventilated and he did not desire further progress during the session. Having reintroduced the measure, it may be assumed that he will try to get it through the Lords this session. Whether the Government would take it up in the Commons when they cannot find time for their own road vehicles Bill is a doubtful proposition.
Tram and Bus Stopping Places.
IR FRANK MEYER having pointed out that in I.Jmany cases in the Metropolitan area omnibuses and trams stopped side by side for the purpose of taking up and setting down passengers, thereby causing a complete stoppage of the stream of traffic, asked whether regulations would be issued to prevent this practice. Colonel Ashley said it was his general practice when reviewing traffic matters in the London traffic area to arrange for omnibus stopping places to be fixed a distance of two tramcar lengths to the rear of the corresponding tramway stopping places, although it was sometimes found necessary to depart from this general rule owing to local conditions. He promised to investigate any instances of difficulty which Sir Frank Meyer might furnish.
Roundabout Traffic.
THE Minister of Transport states that there is not at present any proposal to introduce the roundabout system of traffic at Ludgate Circus. It may be observed that the Minister now uses a good English word in place of the fearful term "gyratory," although the new term seems somewhat playful.
The Law on Speed Limit.
ANOTHER plea has been heard for the introduction of legislation to bring the law relating to the speed limit of motor vehicles up to date and to render its administration uniform, but as this is one of the subjects to be dealt with in the Government Bill which is to be introduced "so. soon as Parliamentary time is available," no immediate legislation dealing with the subject may be expected.
Prevention of Street Accidents.
A TTENTION having been called to the increase of 11street accidents from 98,215 in 1924 to 115,473 in 1925, a third of which occurred in the Metropolis, Colonel Ashley stated that the matter was constantly under consideration. He referred particularly to the circular issued recently to highway authorities on the subject of the white line on highways, to the new powers secured under section 4 of the Roads Improvement Act, 1925, for the elimination of blind corners, and to the various improvements with regard to omnibus and tramway stopping places, refuges and the regulation of traffic generally which had been made in the Metropolitan area on the advice of the London Traffic Advisory Committee. These combined should certainly reduce the ratio of accidents to vehicles.