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ROAD TRANSPORT MATTERS IN PARLIAMENT.

8th December 1925
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Page 9, 8th December 1925 — ROAD TRANSPORT MATTERS IN PARLIAMENT.
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

Inciting Employees to Exceed Speed Limit. Taxicab Fares. Weights and Types of Tyres on Unclassified Roads. The Road Fund : .Debates and Deputations. 1,810,000 Driving Licences.

By Our Special Parliamentary Correspondent..

IN Parliament recently some reference has been made to the position in the eyes of the law of drivers of commercial and public-service vehicles who are obliged to run to schedule and, in making up lost time due to traffic blocks and other causes, have to face prosecution for excessive speed. Labour members particularly are airing the grievance of the driver and seeking to make the owners share the responsibility. Mr. Benjamin Smith, the member for Rotherhithe, who was formerly a cab-driver and is now organizer of the Transport Workers' Union, called the attention of the Home Secretary to the case of a man who, he said, was dismissed for not driving a motor omnibus fast enough, and asked whether legislation was proposed to make employers responsible who systematically incited their employees to exceed the speed limit.

• The Under-Secretary, Mr. Locker-Lamson, observed that steps taken by proprietors to see that drivers maintained the scheduled services so far as practicable did not necessarily involve any incitement to drive at excessive speeds. It was already an offence to incite another to commit a summary offence, and under the provisions of the Criminal Justice Bill it was provided that such an offence could be dealt with summarily. Mr. Smith suggested that action should be taken against the proprietor in the ease he had mentioned, and declared that

• it was a common practice in London for men to be incited to exceed the speed limit. Mr. Locker-Lampson did not think incitement had been proved in the case mentioned, but Mr. Smith retorted that the magistrate waS satisfied on the point, as he had reduced the fine by one-half.

Allegation Against Glasgow Proprietors.

pURSUING the subject, Mr. Benjamin Smith interrogated the Secretary for Scotland as to whether he was aware that omnibus proprietors in Glasgow and district were offering to pay all fines imposed on drivers providing the speed of the omnibus at the time of the summons was not over 25 miles an hour, and, if so, whether legislative action would be proposed to dealwith the matter. Sir John Gilmour, Secretary for Scotland, had no information regarding the alleged practice of omnibus proprietors, but offered, if Mr. Smith supplied him with any facts in his possession, to consider whether any action was practicable or expedient.

Possible Reduction in Taxicab Fares,

THE Home Secretary has under consideration the question of calling a conference of the London cab trade, with a view to securing an agreed reduction of fares. This course was recommended by the committee which dealt with the subject of licensing two-seater taxicabs. The advent of these taxicabs would almost certainly lead to a revision of the present scale of charges, and shrewd judges are of opinion that a reduction, particularly on the initial charge, would greatly Increase the public use of the taxicab and confer advantages all round.

Size, Weight and Tyres.

ONE heard again last week the suggestmn that, in view of the increasing burden on local authorities for the upkeep of unclassified roads, legislation should be introduced to limit the size and weight of motor vehicles and to make the use of pneumatic tyres compulsory. The Minister of Transport once more had to point out that limits are already imposed upon the size and weight of motor vehicles and that revision of these limits will be considered in connection with the Road Vehicles Bill. As to compulsory use of pneumatic tyres, it is not regarded as practicable. Captain W. Shaw asked the Minister to make an Order prohibiting vehicles of a certain width on certain narrow roads and not leave it to local authorities to pass such regulations. He made allusion to the existing hotch-potch arrangement, but Col. Ashley would not have it that the description was accurate. He said it was a matter of local self-government. If local people wanted certain roads restricted, he held an inquiry, and if he considered a case was made out he granted the application.

Permanent Materials for the White Line.

OV a suggestion that the white line should be composed of rubber road blocks and thus be made permanent, the Minister of Transport has stated his inability at present to express an opinion on the merits of the different marking devices. Many of them are undergoing examination.

Lords Debate on Road Fund.

TORD MONTAGU intends to initiate a debate in the A House of Lords at an early date on the Road Fund. He desires to have a definite statement from the Government as to the amount of the Road Fund money devoted to the reduction of unemployment since 1918. He will also expound the text that only one-fifth of the total mileage of roads receives any grants from the Road Fund and 122,000 miles of unclassified roads are repaired by local authorities without any assistance from the proceeds of motor taxation. As the discoverer of Mr. Churchill's designs upon the destination of part of the proceeds of motor taxes, he may be expected to seek information on that matter, but it is extremely unlikely that any announcement of Government policy will be made until Mr. Churchill presents his Budget after the close of the current financial year.

The Local Authorities' Road Fund Deputation.

IT is significant that Mr. Churchill regards the proposed deputation from the County Councils Association on the subject of the Road Fund as premature at present. He states that he has informed the Association that, before a final decision is taken, he will be glad to see them, together with certain other bodies who have also approached the Government in the matter. In accordance with this promise, he hopes to be able to receive the deputation early next year, when deputations on Budget matters are normally received.

Vehicle Users' Handbooks.

COLONEL ASHLEY states that he has had under consideration for some time the issue of an official book, or pamphlet, containing motoring rules. In the meantime, he is drawing the attention of licensing authorities to a -booklet published by the National Safety First Association, entitled "Safe Motoring," and has suggested that they should consider the desirability of distributing a copy of this booklet with each driving licence issued. The Association, he states, has been good enough to offer to supply copies to licensing authorities for the time being free of cost for this purpose. As the booklet contains much useful information with regard to the rules and courtesies of the road,

he hopes that its wide distribution will have beneficial results.

It may be recalled that last July Sir Harry Brittain recommended the issue of a handbook containing the principal rules and regulations, details of Signalling and general etiquette of the road, to be read by each applicant before he received his licence. The Minister of Transport, while expressing sympathy with the object, rather discouraged the idea of furnishing in this form information on the principal rules and regulations, because, "if the information were complete it would be voluminous and if incomplete it might be misleading." There is, of course, a reluctance on the part of Government Departments to issue popular guides to rules and regulations, which are usually so carefully drafted that a simply worded digest is well-nigh impossible without committing the Department to interpretations that were never intended. Trouble was caused during and after the war in one or two departments where handbooks were issued in obedience to publik demand through this very difficulty. The job can best be done by outside agencies, and it is always possible to get a departmental expert as an "act of grace" to point out any blunders in the draft.

Great Increase in Licences. Great Increase in Licences. THE approximate number of drivers' licences issued during the twelve months ended November 30th, 1924, which was the calendar year for this purpose, was 1,644,000 and the approximate amount received in respect of those licences was £411,000. For the eleven

months ended October 31st, 1925, the figures were 1,810,000 and £452,000 respectively.

Birmingham-Wolverhampton Road.

WORK is progressing satisfactorily on the new road between Birmingham and Wolverhampton, although some delay has occurred in places owing to the difficulties Of land acquisition; The Minister of Transport hopes the road will be completed within about eighteen months from now.

Abolition of Road Gates.

COLONEL ASHLEY states that a few applications V./have been received from rural councils for grants to assist them to abolish gates across public highways. He points out that while the removal of the gates usually involves an insignificant expenditure, there is a large outlay on the erection of fences along the highway. Generally speaking, in view of the more urgent demands on the Road Fund, he does not think that this can be classed within the purposes suitable for grants.

Inspection of Petrol Pumps.

Fr HE second clause of the Government's Weights and Measures (Amendment) Bill will enable the Board of Trade to bring petrol pumps within the operation of the Weights and Measures Acts. The Board will have power to make the necessary regulations and the penal provisions of the Acts 1878 to 1904 will apply.


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