ROAD TRANSPORT MATTERS IN PARLIAMENT.
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91HE question of compulsory insurance against third1 party risks is attracting considerable attention amongst members of Parliament. Although Earl Russell withdrew his Bill some time ago on the undertaking of the Government to introduce a compulsory system of insurance for public-service vehicles, by way of experiment, under the Road Vehicles Bill, there is a widespread demand for universal application of compulsion. Colonel Woodcock, the other day, when submitting that every person using a motor vehicle or motorcycle on the public highway should be obliged to insure against third-party risks, made the novel suggestion that the Minister of Transport should consider the expediency of the Government issuing a policy which would run concurrently with the licence for the motor vehicle or motorcycle. Colonel Ashley had nothing to add to previous replies. Colonel Woodcock insisted that the Minister should represent to the Chancellor of the Exchequer that there was a large amount of money. several millions a year, that he could add to revenue without any appreciable cost if the Government would take up this scheme. Colonel Ashley was content with the reply : "It is not a matter for the Government."
Mr. Buchanan, one of the Glasgow Socialist members, called attention to the large number of accidents in cities like Glasgow due to omnibuses, and declared that the persons injured had no claim against the owner in mane cases because he was not insured and had no goods. Colonel Ashley said he was fully aware of the circumstances outlined, and it was these very circumstances that they were taking into consideration in connection with the details of the Bill he hoped to bring In next year. Mr. Macquisten remarked that the proprietors of London ornnibuse.e had to take out a third-party policy against accidents covering everything that might happen. With hisirrepres.sible humour, he exclaimed: "Is it not rather hard that if you are killed by a motor omnibus in Glasgow or elsewhere outside London you get nothing, but if you have the good fortune to be killed by a London omnibus you get damages?" Colonel Ashley, with all solemnity, observed that he was as fully aware of those facts as his honourable friend, and he was considering all relevant facts in deciding upon the details of the Bill. Mr. Johnston exclaimed: "Wily wait till next year?" and had a response in general cheers. Mr. 1Ruchanan said he would raise the matter of omnibus accidents one evening on the motion for the adjournment.
London Traffic Committee's Reports.
COLONEL ASHLEY has announced that after consideration of the recommendations in.the reports on the travelling facilities in North-east London and in East London he has asked the London Traffic Advisory Committee to explore further the possibility of the institution of a common fund or of working agreements in connection with the operation of passenger traffic undertakings in the London area.
Omnibus Manufacturers and Circular No. 231.
ATR. REMER asked the Minister of Traasport if he 1.V_L would state what conditions were imposed on an application from a local authority for a loan for the purchase of motor omnibuses and whether stipulation was made that they were to comply with Circular No. 231 (Roads) issued on July 31st, 1925. Colonel Ashley replied: "So far as is practicable, I endeavour to ensure that the vehicles proposed to be acquired B26 comply substantially with the recommendations iudicated in Circular No. 231 (Roads)." Mr. Remer asked the Minister if he was aware that the circular in question was causing a great deal of difficulty to the manufacturers of motor omnibuses on the ground that it could not be complied with. Colonel Ashley : "As the circular is in vague terms, I do not think that the manufacturers will be at a disadvantage when they put their omnibuses on the street." Mr. Remer: "Is it the case that most of the municipalities stated an the tender forms that this particular circular was to be complied with and that this causes great difficulty to the manufacturers?" Colonel Ashley: "If the hon. member communicates with me and puts his point before me I will go into it."
Omnibus Brakes and Tyres.
rpiiE Home Secretary has made the following state ment :—" The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, who is the licensing authority for motor omnibuses in the Metropolitan Police dietrict, fully approves of the fitting of omnibuses with front-wheel brakes and pneumatic tyres, provided that vehicles so fitted can pass the tests which he imposes to ensure their safety in use. One type of single-deck omnibus has already passed the tests and ten of this type are to be tried in actual service. Of these, four are already running. There is also a number of single-deck omnibuses in service in the Metropolis with pneumatic tyres but without front-wheel brakes, but no satisfactory type of double-deck omnibus, with either pneumatic tyres or front-wheel brakes, has yet been submitted for the Commissioner's approval.
Police, Pedestrians and One-way Traffic.: ONE-WAY traffic in London, it appears, has led to a slight increase in the number of police on point duty. The Rome Secretary is hopeful that it may be possible to reduce the number when the public are more familiar with the system. On being asked whether he had received reports showing that one-way traffic made it much more difficult for pedestrians to cross the streets, Sir W. Joynson-Hicks declared that be had not. Major Glyn, after calling attention to the difficulties experienced by children, even when accompanied by nurses, desiring to cross the highway in the neighbourhood of the parks, especially where one-way traffic was in operation, as at Hyde Park -Corner and the Marble Arch, suggested the possibility of setting up overhead bridges with inclined ramps at congested points when subways would be too expensive. Colonel Ashley observed that the whole question of the safety of pedestrians when crossing the carriage-way of streets where one-way traffic was in operation was under consideration by the London Traffic Advisory Committee and he must await their report before reaching any ronclusions.
Functions of the Police.
SIR C. KINLOCH-COOKE having desired that, in view of the time the police are required to give to minor offences against the Motor Car Acts and the result on the detection of crime, the number of police in the Metropolitan area should be increased, Sir W. Joynson-Hicks, without accepting the suggestion implied, stated that the strength of the force had been under investigation for some time and he hoped to have before him shortly all the material necessary to enable a decision to be arrived at. —Mr. 'Lunn remarked that if the Home Secretary saw fit to increase the number of police in order to deal with motor offences, he should' see that the cost was borne by road users.
Accidents at Level Crossings.
JJURING the year ended September 30th, 1920, there were 30 accidents at.. railway level crossings on public roads, involving 31 killed and 33 injured. At private and footpath crtassings there were 40 accidents, involving 35 killed and 8 injured. The casualties at public road crossings include 9 killed and 6 injured in the Fenny Stratford motor-coach accident and 9 killed and 0 injured in .a similar accident at Naworth.
The Prevention of Level Crossing Accidents.
TAAST Wednesday Earl Russell initiated a discussion in the House of Lords on the level-crossing accident at Naworth and the attitude of the Ministry of Transport to level crossings generally. His first proposition was that level crossings were an anachronism that should not be tolerated. His remedy for the present state of things was either to fix a period of, say, five years within which all level crossings should be replaced with bridges, or require railways to contribute to a fund, along, with the county councils and the Road Fund, for defraying the cost of necessary works. Lord Montagu of Beaulieu supported the plea for abolishing level crossings and mentioned that it would be to the advantage of the railway companies to do SO, RS! each cost on an average 000 or £700 a year.
Viscount Peel, who replied for the Ministry of Transport, said that the report on the Naworth accident, which was in the hands of the printers, suggested that the gates should he interlocked with the signals in accordance with the existing arrangements at many other similar crossings. Level-classing accidents, he pointed out, were on an average fewer than 20 per annum, and a good number were due to a certain amount of carelessness and could hardly be prevented by precautionary measures. The Department favoured the elimination of level crossings and had brought this about in a good many cases by means of grants from the Road Fund or the construction of by-pass roads. He regarded the proposals of Earl Russell as drastic in view of the road competition which railways had to face. It was considered by the Ministry of Transport that the cost of building bridges would in many eases not he justified by the extent of saving in danger and inconvenience. He assured the House that all that was possible was being done by the Minister, who would be prepared to ask for further powers if it were found necessary.
Smoke Due to Unsuitable Fuel.
OLONEI4 ASHLEY supplements his previous observations on the emission of steam, smoke and sparks from steam lorries by saying that it would be unfortunate to warn owners of those vehicles, as it has been brought to his notice that the recent increase in the emission of smoke by some vehicles is due to the fact that, owing to the coal stoppage, the owners have found it impossible to obtain suitable fuel and have to use soft coal.
Paris Tram and Bus System.
ASUGGESTION made by Mr. Gardner is that the London Traffic Advisory Committee should be consulted with a view to the adoption of the Parisian system whereby passengers are enabled, by the use of numbered tickets affixed to lamp standards, to board tramcars and omnibuses in the order of arrival at stopping-places. Colonel Ashley stated that consideration had been given to the suggestion, hut he was inclined to the conclusion that this system would not suit London conditions. As a practical objection it would have the effect of slowing down both omnibuses and tramcars very considerably.
Roads and Bridges.
V1FTY-NINE new road and bridges construction 1.' schemes, mainly diversions of existing roads, have, it is officially stated, been authorized by the Ministry of Transport during the current financial year. The total amount of grants made and indicated to local authorities in England and Wales out of the £1,300,000 set aside for maintenance grants to unclassified roads Is already £824,385. In accordance with the scheme of grants annatmced, the grants represent 20 per cent. of the approyed expenditure on these scheduled unclassified roa s.
umber of Toll Bridges.
TBE Mini ter of Transport informed Major Sir Granville Wheeler that, according to returns made by highway authorities two years ago, there were then In England 24 toll bridges on Class I roads and 20 on Class IT roads. The highest toll for private motorcars was 2s. gd. and the lowest 2d. Owing to the complete want of uniformity in the classification of vehicles and traffic adopted on different toll bridges it was not practicable to state the maximum tolls for every category of traffic. Some of the schedules included calashes, barouches and other unfamiliar forms of transport. Colonel Ashley repeated his undertaking to consider applications for grants towards the freeing of those tolls. Upon being asked to give a pledge that he would see that unreasonable tolls would not be used to extort unreasonable prices for freeing them, he said he never gave Parliamentary pledges, as they were undesirable things to give. He would have to see any agreement between the local authority and the owners -of a toll before he gave a grant.