London Traffic Authority
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CEARS that the Government's pro1 posals for reorganizing local authorities in London would not solve the capital's traffic problems were expressed in the Commons last week during the debate on the plan.
The Greater London Council, by itself, would be able to do nothing to deal with traffic problems in its area, claimed Mr. George Pargiter (Lab., Southall), for these problems were due to the vested interests of property.
From the same side of the House, Mrs. Freda Corbet (Peckham) asked if it was conceivable that the traffic problemswould be solved by the establishment of the Greater London Council, and the boroughs. . If they could be, would not the Ministries themselves have been able to assist the existing local authorities to do it? In fact, said ,Mrs. Corbet, it was the Ministries which had inhibited the local authorities from getting on with the job.
She noted that the Minister of Transport was not waiting for the new authorities to come into being and build up their efficiency. He had taken extraordinary powers unto himself "in .1960, and was getting on with the job which he might very well have got on with many years ago.
From the Government side, Mr. Philip Goodhart (Beckenham) visualized the Greater London Council as being nothing more and nothing less than a "traffic Parliament."
"They will not be able to. discuss planning day in, day out They cannot discuss fire services or ambulance services to any great extent. *fiat will they be left with? " he asked. "They will be left -to argue about traffic. ' There will be 110 people talking interminably about oneway stteets. Far from needing a traffic Parliament, what we need is a traffic dictator."