THE NEW TRAFFIC BILL

Hokitika Guardian, 5 December 1929, Page 7

THE NEW TRAFFIC BILL

NON-PARTY MEASURE. PROVISIONS WELL RECEIVED GENERALLY. (British Official! Wireless). RUGBY, Nov. 30. The Minister of Transport, Mr Herbert Morrison, in a statement referred to the new Motor Traffic Bill. The main provisons of the Bill, which is non-party in character, have already indicated. Mr Moilrison said that its effect would be to free motorists from hopelessly out-of-date restrictions, and it should call to order the inconsiderate and incompetent drivers. He hoped that by it pedestrians would l.e able to co-operate with other users of the highway to common advantage. The Bill provides machinery whereby the vehicles of the various public ser-. vices would work dn something like a co-ordinated basis. PENALTIES PR O TIDED. Heavy penalties for careless driving and dangerous driving are provided for in the Bill, a second conviction for the latter offence involving cancellation of the driver’s license. The minimum age for a motor-cycle driver’s license is raised. The Bill also provides for a reduction of the hours on duty for drivers of heavy motor vehicles, and area commissioners will be appointed to license public service vehicles and regulate routes and service. The terms of the proposed measure are -generally approved by the Automobile ssociation and the Royal Automobile Club. ROAD FUND REPORT. The report on the administration of the Road Fund for the twelve months ending March 31, states that the total rec* nts of the fund from all sources were £2.1,298,000, as compared with £20,348,000 in the previous year. The approximate number of vehices ior which licenses were granted during 1928 exceeded 2,0..0,(K)0. The figures represent one motor vehicle for every twenty-one persons in Great Britain, and one person in every eighteen in Britain holds a driving license. The report shows that the total length of public highways in Great Britain is tic,(l9s miles which is more by 2000 miles than ten years ago.