§ MR. LIDDELLasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether his attention has been called 995 to the rapid rate of speed at which large and cumbrous spring carts and vans now traverse the streets of the metropolis at all hours; And whether, in view of this practice, and with regard to the public safety and convenience, he will consider the desirability of making some further regulations of street traffic than those apparently in force?
§ VISCOUNT MAHONdesired at the same time to ask, Whether further regulations wore contemplated with regard to cabs which carried no fares, and which, by going through the streets at a foot-pace, constantly impeded the public traffic?
MR. BRUCESir, it is somewhat inconvenient to answer a Question of so much importance in this form, because if I give a very succinct answer, I shall neither do justice to the efforts of the police to diminish the danger of the streets, nor bring before the House a full picture of the state of things. I am also very 1oth to detain the House at any length on the matter. The Acts imposing penalties on persons for furious driving or for driving so as to endanger life or limb, or do bodily harm, are 2nd & 3rd Vic., c. 47, and 24th and 25th Vie. c. 100. The police have power to enforce those Acts by taking out summonses, or by apprehending offenders; but have no power to make regulations as to speed, the only power they have being that they can regulate the order which vehicles should take through the streets on certain occasions. During the year 1872, 528 summonses were taken out for the offence of dangerous driving, and 351 apprehensions were made. The number of police specially employed in regulating street traffic has been largely increased during the last four years, and it now amounts to 176, besides 230 stationed at fixed points; these are mostly in busy thoroughfares, and pay special attention to the traffic, and I believe I am within the truth in saying, that since Colonel Henderson has been Chief Commissioner the number of police specially told off for this duty have been increased four-fold; while the strictest orders to enforce the law have been issued to the police, and printed notices on the subject have been extensively placarded. I am sorry, however, to say that while the number of deaths has slightly decreased, the number of injured has not decreased in 996 proportion to the exertions thus made. The number of persons killed during the last four years has been—in 1869, 128; in 1870, 124; in 1871, 120; in 1872, 118. The agents in the deaths were—vans, 30; heavy carts, 19; light carts, 18; waggons and drays, 19; omnibuses, 14; cabs, 10; private carriages, 6; and ridden horses, 2. On the other hand, the number of injuries inflicted has considerably increased—namely, from 1,706 in 1869, to 2,677 in 1872. The population of the metropolitan police district was 3,110,654 in 1861; in 1871 it was 3,810,744, being an increase of 700,090, or at the rate of 70,000 a-year. The present population is probably 3,950,000. On examining the scenes of these accidents it will be found that they happen with comparative rarity at crossings in crowded places, where policemen are generally stationed, and where the crowded state of the streets prevents vehicles from moving rapidly. Accidents are more frequent in less crowded and and less well-guarded thoroughfares. Thus the largest number of accidents occurred in the district of Highgate, and a large proportion of these were in the streets which were used by children as their playground and by full-grown persons as a footway. The difficulty in enforcing the law arises from the necessity of proving "furious driving." The pace must be a matter of opinion, and the evidence of the police is very liable to be questioned. However, it is the intention of the Chief Commissioner of Police to increase the number of the police in crossings and busy thoroughfares; but his success cannot be complete without the co-operation of the passengers themselves, who often display an extraordinary indifference to danger. With respect to the Question of the noble Lord the Member for East Suffolk (Viscount Mahon), I admit the evil. I think that loitering or crawling cabs add much to the obstruction of traffic and to the safety of even prudent passengers; but the war waged by the Chief Commissioner against them was the subject of continual expostulation in this House, where it seemed to me that there was a disposition to prefer private convenience to public safety. Crawlers are largely patronized, and it is difficult to enforce a law when so many are conspiring against it, and the magistrates show a 997 disinclination to convict except where actual obstruction is proved. The number of cabs has increased from 5,687 in 1869 to 8,160 in 1872, and there will be a very large increase during this year. The Chief Commissioner has done what he could to diminish any justification fox loitering by increasing the number of standings from 292 in 1868 to 498 in 1872. During the last year 1,383 summonses were taken out against loitering cabs.