MOTOR TOURING IN ENGLAND

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 15 January 1927, Page 14

MOTOR TOURING IN ENGLAND

TRAFFIC AND ROADS Talking of a lour round I lie world, and especially the English part of the trip, a South Island settler says inter alia’ with a great admiraton tor English conditions: — . . “ 'Bus services are now in operation everywhere, and have completely altered the aspect of the remote villages which have so long been out of the beaten track. It is hard to find a village to which there are not bus services from town. It can be well imagined what this means to the outlying populations. The inhabitants of these villages are completely altering. Due •loutish type of country yokel is last disappearing as a result of this lapic transportation system. In London ami some of the larger cities the authorities have adopted the circular traffic system. Instead of going through a square from one side to the other, the motorists turn sharp to the left or right, as the case may be, and travel round the square until they reach the road down which they wish to proceed. In thisi waj there is a continuous circle or tiainc -which has a very weird effect to those watching it for the first time. “I was particularly impressed with the wonderful condition of the roads in the Old -Country.” he continued. In certain parts of the country concrete roads are being laid down with just a fine surface coating of bitumen. >.ome Toads are of pure bitumen, while on 'others varous methods of tar-sealing aie employed. At a certain town where a concrete road was being finished the final touch was given by taking o\ei the bitumen surface a roller on which were a number of indentations. lh is left a slight studded surface which would undoubtedly tend to prevent side slipping and would possibly enhance ' the wearing properties of the road. There is no doubt, in. mv opinion, that the. ideal road is a concrete one wit i a top layer of bitumen. In some cases. I noticed they are putting m mesh wire for reinforcement. Bv this means they can get 311st as much strength with halt as much .concrete.

“There is no doubt of the ascendency of the light, motor ear m Britain. For this there are obvious reasons. In the first place the owners r.av a lower tax (T understand this is £l"per horse-power) and in the second place roads are so uniformly good nia a light ear does all that is required at much cheaper running cost. As far as this class of motor-car is concerned the British manufacturers hold the maikCu I might add that the average motorist i 3 quite willing to pay a high tax because he. knows the whole of the money collected is. spent on the upkeep of the roads. -However, I notice that the Chancellor of the Exchequer is this year taking a portion of this fund toi funeral purposes, which measure is receiving strong opposition from t-if-ranks of the motoring fraternity. “Bulk petrol has beeii universally adopted in the Old Country Numbers of local authorities will not permit pumps to. be erected on the footpath as is done here, the pump and receptacle having to be establshed on private land. The petrol is conveyed to the motor car by means of a long swivel arm. When this is not in use it swings back and lies flat along the side of the building. .Pedestrians are able to walk underneath the pipe while the petrol is being taken on board. In this way anything in the nature of obstruction is avoided.