No Buses, "Generally Speaking," on Motorways, Says Mr. Callaghan
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" IT is not proposed to allow buses to run on these roads [motorways], generally speaking," said Mr. James Callaghan, Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport, in replying to the debate on the Special Roads Bill in the House of Commons, last week.
He was answering a question by Mr. Peter Thorneyeroft, who asked Mr. Callaghan how he could justify the expenditure of about £500,000,000 of public money on special roads, when his whole policy was to raise bus fares in order to push traffic back on to the railways: Mr. Molson then said that the motorWays would be in general competition with the railways, and asked how Mr. Callaghan could justify the policy of nationalization of transport to integrate road and rail, and then support new roads that were competitive with the main-line railways.
Mr. Callaghan replied that one could not discuss in two minutes a question that had agitated the minds of the public for 30 years.
P.S. Contradicts lacmister?
Earlier, Mr. Alfred Barnes, Minister of Transport, 'declared: "It will be a mistake for anyone to assume that the Bill is promoted to satisfy the selfish interests of the private motorist. It is nothing of the kind. It is often overlooked that nowadays we are all motorists, whether or not we drive a private car. Everybody travels on buses or coaches and the greater proportion of our domestic and personal needs are delivered by motorvan."
According to this statement, Mr. Barnes 'seems to envisage the use of motorways by bpses and coaches, and Mr. Callagnan's remark is somewhat mystifying.
The Bill received an unopposed second reading, although some members were critical of it. Sir David Maxwell Fyfe agreed that the Opposition should co-operate in giving the Bill a second reading.
In introducing it, Mr. Barnes said that before the war, the average annual increase in the number of motor vehicles was 170,000. ' Between 1924 and 1939, the density of motor vehicles per road-mile rose from 7.3 per cent. to 17.6 per cent.• He declared that the economic case for motorways was beyond dispute. An . all-purpose road cost £175,000 per mile to build, whereas the capital cost of a motorway was about £150,000 per mile, and that type of road occupied 10 per cent, less land than an all-purpose highway. The The plan for the construction of special roads included not more thao 1,000 miles of motorways.
To help members in considering the Bill, models showing the basic types of ' junction for motorways, and a large model depicting a seven-mile stretch of the proposed motorway from Chippenham to Castle Combe, Wiltshire, were displayed in a committee room of the House of Commons.
U.T.A. MAKES A GOOD START
SINCE taking over control of Ulster transport on October 1, the Ulster Transport Authority has issued weekly a statement of revenue returns from passenger and freight services. At the end of the first four weeks of operation, the aggregate revenue from both departments amounted to £325,857, as compared with £277,646 from undertakings in existence this time last year.
On the passenger side, the average weekly return has been £54,851, as against £45,255 last year, and on the freight side £26,612, compared with £24.156.
FARES INQUIRY NEXT WEEK
HUDDERSEIELD'S proposals to increase fares on its motorbus and trolleybus services will be considered by the Yorkshire Licensing Authority at Huddersfield Town Hall on November 25.
Proposals include the abolition of penny fares, the charges to be one mile for lid., 1 miles for 2d., two miles for 2id., three miles for 3d., and Id. for every additional mile. SEPTEMBER OUTPUT SHOOTS UP
viORE than 3,500 commercial al vehicles a week were produced in September. Output for the month (a five-week period) was 17,758 vehicles, compared with 12,519 in the five-week period of August, when holidays interfered with production. September saw also a big jump in the export quota, 9,920 vehicles having been allocated to overseas customers, and only 7.830 to the home market.
Of September's output, 6,605 vehicles were under 15 cwt. payload capacity; 9,023 between 15 cwt. and 6 tons; 497 over 6 tons; 1,139 motorbuses and trolleybuses, and 494 battery-electrics. Eight vehicles were for the Services.
Statistics issued by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders show that 127,964 commercial vehicles were manufactured in the first nine months of the year, including 14 for the Services. Production by classes was as follows:—Under 15 cwt., 44,668; 15 cwt. and up to 6 tons, 65,196; over 6 tons, 4,854; motorbuses and trolleybuses, 10,025; and battery-electrics, 3,021. Of these vehicles, 65,986 were for home use and 61,964 for expori
FARMING JOURNAL FOR EXPORT A NEW monthly journal, which will rAcirculate almost wholly overseas and will meet the need Of overseas buyers for information on the use and maintenance of British farm machinery under local conditions, will shortly be produced by 'Temple Press Ltd. It will be known as " British Farm MechanizatiOn," and will be a companion journal to "Farm Mechanization," which is concerned with the interests of farmers and the implements trade in this country. Mr R M. Hughes, editor of "Farm Mechanization," will also edit the new export journal, in which extensive use of colour printing will be made.
"HALL-MARK" FOR PLASTICS
AN equivalent of the hall-mark for gold and silver articles has been introduced for plastic materials. It is intended to give purchasers an independent assurance that the marked products and materials conform with requirements laid down by an authority other elan the producer.
Certification of plastics is being developed from an agreed scheme between the British Plastics Federation and the British Standards Institution, At present, the scheme is applicable only to moulding powders made from phenol formaldehyde and urea formaldehyde resins, and certain mouldings produced from them.
TRAINING ON A BIG SCALE AST year the recruitment and train-Laing centre of London Transport trained 11,220 conductors, 8,283 drivers, and 307 inspectors and other officials. Of the drivers, 2,500 were qualified men undergoing short courses on new tyoes.
A.E.C. PRICES RAISED
PRICES of A.E.C. chassis and spare parts have been raised as from November I, as a result of the award of increased wages to employees in the engineering industry, A.E.C.. Ltd., announced on November 9.