'THE Association of Municipal Cori porations have approved suggestions of
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the Ministry Of Transport for bringing new rear-lighting regulations into force. It is proposed that all new road vehicles shall carry rear lights in prescribed positions from October .1, 1954.
Existing vehicles will be required to comply with the regulations between October 1, 1955, and October I, 1957; depending upon the type. Commercial vehicles will be in the earliest category and private cars in the latest.
ACCIDENTS DOWN 30% SINCE TRAMS WENT Q INCE London's trams were replaced
by 'motor-buses, road accidents involving public service vehicles on former tram routes have been cut by nearly a third, a survey just completed by the Road Research Laboratory reveals. The survey was carried but on routes where buses took over from trams and suggests that tram conversion has reduced London's road accidents by about 300 a year.
Road accidents involving 'pedestrians but not buses have also gone down "significantly." The reason, the investigators suggest, may be that since the trams have been abandoned, the fastermoving traffic has been 'able to keep more to the centre of the road. This is thought to be a possible reason' why accidents between ordinary private and commercial vehicles may have slightly increased.
T.U.C. PRESSING FOR END OF DE-RATING
FOLLOWING consideration of representations from affiliated unions, the general council of the Trades Union Congress have stated that changed economic circumstances have done away with the original justification for de-rating.
They averred that abolition of the de-rating of industry would 'bring in about £36m. more to local authorities, but as rates could be set off against income tax and profits tax on companies, it would cost industry and transport in England and Wales only about £16m. On the average, this would add -id. in the pound to industrial costs, which could easily be met out of profits, The gross cost to transport would be about ilim.
RECORD BEDFORD OUTPUT
A RECORD total of 110,099 Bedford 11 commercial vehicles and Vauxhall cars was produced by Vauxhall Motors, Ltd., in 1953. This was 39 per cent, more than in the previous year, when the total was 79,162. The company's previous highest annual total was 87,500 vehicles in 1950.
Nearly 40,000 vehicles were delivered to the home market-21, times as many as in '1952. Exports were worth I.30m., compared with £24.1m, in the previous year