Experimental Rules for Motorways
Page 41
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XPERIMENTAL rules covering the use of motorways will be tried out this year on Preston By-pass if the Minister of Transport's proposals are approved by Parliament. The Ministry said on Tuesday that it Was hoped 'the necessary resolutions would be taken either before Parliament rose for the summer recess or before the session ended in the autumn.
The Minister has made the Special ' Roads (Classes of Traffic) Order, 1958 and the Motor Vehicles (Speed Limit on Special Roads) Regulations, 1958 (Stationery Office, 3d. each), which will have legal effect up to August 1, :1959. This limitation is intended to ensure that they will in practice apply only to Preston By-pass, which is being built to motorway standards and is expected to be opened in November. According to the Ministry statement, the Minister believes that experience should be gained of the use of the country's first motorway before final decisions are taken. He will then review the situation.
When the scheme for the by-pass was made it was intendedfor use by all normal passenger and goods vehicles, by tractors up to 71 tons unladen,' with or without trailers, and by carriers of abnormal, indivisible loads. To avoid hindrance to traffic the Minister has, however, excluded mo-peds and motor-propelled cycles, farm tractors
and similar vehicles taxed at £2, and vehicles carrying abnormal indivisible
loads. A limited number of special-type vehicles will, however, he allowed to use the motorway on occasion, so that the effect on traffic flow may be observed.
There will be no speed limits except on vehicles towing trailers with fewer than
four wheels, or trailers with four closecoupled wheels, which will be subject to 40 m.p.h. This limit will not apply to articulated outfits.
[National Road Transport Federation deputation to Minister on motorway rules—page 838.]
LORRY PASSENGER GETS 120,261 DAMAGES
AN18-year•-old boy who was injured in a collision between a lorry and a train was awarded £20,261 damages against his employers and the lorry-owner at Birmingham Assizes on Tuesday. The boy, David George Dodgett, Rubery, Birmingham, was a passenger in the lorry, owned by G. B. Kyte, Cambrica Road, Evesham, Worcs. He was employed on a farm by J. M. Stokes and Co., Fladbury (Wores). Mr. Justice Finnemore found that both Mr..Kyte and the company had been negligent The boy's life had been Wrecked; he declared. - The 'judge 'said the. lorry driver, who was killed, must have seen the train approaching tM crossing.
The British Transport Commission, against whom damages were also sought, were dismissed from the suit. Costs were awarded against Stokes and Mr. kyte.