THE REGULATION OF TRANSPORT BY ROAD.
Page 15
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Being a Section of the Report of the Railways and Transport Committee of the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce.
AMOST comprehensive report concerning important questions arising out of the terms of reference to the Royal Commission on Transport has recently been prepared by the Railways and Transport Cominittee of the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce.
At the outset the committee statesahat the position in the transport industry is one of grave complexity and that in some directions it is extremely difficult to make recommendations for the better organization, or the co-ordination, of the various methods of transport in the public interest without inviting criticisms of partiality in respect of. one or the other -form of transport. We shall, however, deal only With that part of the report which concerns road transport, iind in this connection the committee has put forward certain recommendations as follow:— Standards of Construction and Maintenance of Road Vehicles.
It is recommended that the standards of construction and maintenance and the regulations adopted for the safety of the public (which are applicable to public-service passenger vehicles) should, with appropriate modifications, be extended to embrace vehicles used for commercial purposes.
Motor Drivers : Adequate Margins for Rest. • It is common knowledge that at the present time drivers who have made long journeys are frequently .required at short notice to mak-e forward or return journeys' with little or no period for adequate rest and sleep. The committee regards this practice as highly dangerous and one. likely to augment considerably the risk of accidents on the road. It recommends, therefore, that owners of such vehicles should be held responsible-in law for seeing that drivers have had sufficient rest and sleep between their journeys to ensure their competence for the duties they (mdertake.
Compulsory Third-party Insurance. .
The development of road transport is largely dependent upon the success of road hauliers in securing return loads from distant points, and such hauliers, therefore, report for firms and clearing houses for this business. Great difficulties arise, however, inasmuch as,:firms interested in the traffic have rid certain means, for ascertaining, the financial stability of the transport carrier, and have no knowledge as to whether, in the case of a grave accident, he will be in a position to meet the, possibly heavy, liabilities attaching to his business. Consequently, the committee regards it as essential that all hauliers acting wholly or partially as public carriers should be in a position to. meet any liabilities which might arise from their undertaking the business. It recommends that it should be a condition of the issue of a licence for the vehicle that a policy of insurance covering all third-party risks and applicable throughout the whole period of the licence should be produced.
-Brilliant Headlights.
It is recommended that standard regulations le speedily adopted regarding the whole question of brilliant headlights on motor vehicles. We presume that such regulations would deal with the prevention of dazzle and the best expedients for driving in fog.
Road WideningS and Improvements.
• Whilst in many areas considerable progress has been made in the direction of road widening and the abolition of blind ::corners and bridges, there are numerous her localities in which the authorities have taken little or no action, As a consequence, much retardation of road traffic is caused and tile danger to the public considerably augmented. It is recommended that pressure should be brought upon such local authorities to effect the necessary improvements with the least possible .aelay.
Islands for Pedestrians. .
With the rapid growth of road traffic there has arisen a necessity for the greater employment of islands to be used by pedestrians, and it is recommended that such facilities should be considerably increased, especiallyin busy thoroughfares., In this connection the committee, is also of the opinion that the officers on point duty at dangerous crossings should pay greater attenticn to the necessities . of pedestrians, and that 'periodical halts should be made, as occasion arises; to permit pedestrians to cross the road.,