Passenger Transport Inquiries by
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Municipalities?
IN the House of Commons, last week, 1 Mr. Ellis Smith asked the Minister of Transport, Mr. A. Barnes, whether he 'would appoint a cominittet to investigate the modernization of transport in the Manchester arid North Staffordshire areas.
Mr. Barnes replied that such a function was the duty of the British Transport' Commission, No inquiry was in progress in this particular locality, but it was "up to the local authorities" to make investigations similar to that which the B.T.C. had made in the North-eastern Area.
In reply to Mr. De la Bere, who asked when the regulations for compensation for loss of office would be forthcoming (thosedealing with road transport undertakings), the Minister said that the proposals 'were still under consideration. [An -outline ' of them was published in " The Ccinmercial
Motor" last week.] ' Consideration would be given at a future date to the addition Of codicils to driving licences, so that-a holder of a substantive licence would not have to take out a new one when he became qualified to drive vehicles of a different group. This statement was Made in reply to a question by Mr. Norman Bower.
Dealing with further questions put by Sir Wavell Wakefield and Mr. Challen, the Minister stated that the. Government had-in mind the needfor co-ordination of road and rail plans in London, and no proposal for a major change in either road or rail facilities was considered without. taking alternative forms of transport into account.
Road-rail Plan A comprehensive road and rail plan should •emerge -from • the preparation plans for the London area by the 10 authorities concerned. Co-ordination would take place as a contmumg process, and it would be several years before the development plans were firm enough for an estimate 'of capital expenditure to he made.
In a written answer to Mr. Janner,
the Minister gave some informaliooon the action the Government would take to implement decisirinse reached by the United Nations Road and Motor 1 raffle COnvention, in Geneva. Mr. Barnes said that the Convention, to which Britain was a signatory member, had yet to be ratified. No changes would need to be made to the Road and Rail Traffic Act and as the United Kingdom did not sign the relevant protocol, our present system of road signs would inot have to be altered.
Amongst the principal changes that would follow the ratification would he: (i) that vehicles temporarily brought into the' U.K. would not require the International .Certificate; (ii) foreign driving licences would be valid in this countryand (iii) that vehicles and/or trailers entering the territories of signatory states would have to he fitted with certain 'equipment.
This equipment includes two passing lights, two red reflectors and one stop light; trailers do not, of course, require the passing lights, these being fitted to the tractive unit.