‘No reason' for confusion by road safety body

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33611, 13 August 1974, Page 7

‘No reason' for confusion by road safety body

The dissolution of thei Road Safety Council did not! [interfere with the rights of I ■ access of road safety com-i mittees to high authorities,! said the Minister of Trans-! port (Sir Basil Arthur). He said he was disappointed about reports that i members of the South Canterbury Road Safety Committee were confused about which organisations they could write to. “In my letter of July 27 to the committee. I thought that I had made it clear that committees have always had direct access to the Ministry of Transport and to the Minister,” Sir Basil said. They also had their own national and regional conferences.

"I see no reason why they should want another body to look at their suggestions before they get to me,” said Sir Basil.

“If the South Canterbury .committee wishes to make submissions to the Parliamentary Select Committee, I will certainly be happy to pass them on.

“In the meantime, let me make the position of all road safety committees quite clear. Each committee is an ! autonomous body, owing ■allegiance to nobody but its ■own members. It can take

up local matters directly with local authorities or local officers of my ministry. "Matters of greater moment can be taken up with the Ministry's regional or head office. Most committees are grouped into regional conferences and most attend an annual national convention. Such conventions can make recommendations to any Minister of the Crown, or, through me, to the Select Committee.” Sir Basil said he had hoped that by eliminating a now superfluous body from the chain, communication would have become simpler rather than more confused.