Road Transport Topics
Page 43
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in Parliament
By Our Special Parliamentary Correspondent
A £10,000,000 MOTOR IMPORT.
THE Chancellor of the Exchequer was asked by Mr. Hall Caine whether he was aware that a contract had been secured by the Red Star Line with General Motors, Ltd., for the carriage of over 60,000 motor vehicles to Europe from the United States during 1935, and that a proportion of this export, to the value of over 10,000,000, would be despatched for sale in this country ; and whether he was satisfied that the existing rates. of duty on foreign motor vehicles was adequate.
Mr. Neville Chamberlain said, with regard to the last part of the question, that in a reply he gave on February 28, he stated that the duty was already at the rate of 331 per cent., ad valorem, and that the import of foreign motor vehicles had not yet reached a point where It was a menace to the production of British cars.
PEDESTRIANS' RESPONSIBILITY AT CROSSING-PLACES.
THE Minister was requested by Mr. 1 Glossop to consider making it an offence for a pedestrian to cross a road at any point other than a recognized crossing-place, except where such crossing-places were more than 50 yds. distant.
Mr. Hore-Belisha replied that further experience might necessitate some revision of the pertinent regulations, but lie was not prepared, at present, to give any pledge. He desired to place on record his recognition of ' the increasingly courteous manner in which drivers were observing these crossings. SPEEDOMETERS TO BE COMPULSORY?
ON being asked whether lie would take action to make the use of a speedometer obligatory on all vehicles subject to a speed limit, Mr. HoreBelisha said he was referring the matter to the Transport Advisory Council, for an early report, and he was informing the manufacturers accordingly.
SATISFACTORY OPERATION OP 30-M.P.H. LIMIT.
WITH regard to the 30-mph. limit, VV Mr. Hore-Belisha stated that the numbers of both killed and injured on the roads continued to decline, and that there had been no increase in traffic congestion reported in the London area or elsewhere. On the contrary, there was general agreement that traffic had proceeded more smoothly.
The increase in the number of vehicles on the roads had, so far as he was aware, continued unabated. As the new speed limit did not affect motor coaches, it was not to be anticipated that long-distance passenger traffic would be adversely affected.
Mr. Stourton suggested raising the limit to 35 mph., to give better facilities for overtaking heavy traffic, but the Minister pointed out that the existing limit was a decision of Parliament. NO CHANGE OF 20 M.P.H. LIMIT.
MR. HOWARD asked the Minister whether, in view of the altered conditions with regard to the speed limit now imposed in built-up areas, he could see his way to increase the limit of heavy motor vehicles from 20 m.p.h. to 30 m.p.h.
Mr. Fiore-Belisha observed that Parliament in the same Act which imposed a speed limit in built-up areas fixed the maximum speeds for all classes of road vehicles.
BUSES ALLEGED TO EXCEED 30 M.P.H.
THE attention of the Home Secretary was called by Sir P. Dawson to the running of buses on a large number of routes at speeds of 40 m.p.h. or more, as, for instance, in Lawrie Park Road, S.E.26, where, he alleged, they frequently ran at this speed. He asked why, having regard to the fact that this had been going on for a long time, no steps had been taken to control these speeds of buses,
Sir John Gilmour said the police gave constant attention to the speed of heavy passenger vehicles, that 678 cases of excessive speed by buses and coaches were reported during the year 1934, and that action was taken either by caution or summonses, With regard to Lawrie Park Road, he was much obliged to • the Member for calling his attention to this, and the Commissioner of Police informed him that he had given orders for special attention to be paid to the speed of vehicles on this road.
REVISION OF ORDNANCE MAPS.
THE Minister of Agriculture states that a substantial addition to the Ordnance Survey Estimates for this year will enable a beginning to be made in overtaking arrears in the revision of Ordnance Survey maps, and the preparation of plans for town and country planning.