HC Deb 20 February 1899 vol 66 cc1463-4
THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Sir MATTHEW WHITE RIDLEY,) Lancashire, Blackpool

Mr. Speaker, I desire to ask the leave of the House to introduce a Bill to amend the Metropolitan Streets Act, 1867. The object of the Bill is to give the police increased powers to deal with the congested street traffic in London, and it proposes to do this by amending Section 11 of the Act of 1867, which I have named, so as to enable the police to make regulations prescribing the routes to be taken by omnibuses and other vehicles, —e.g., prohibiting certain lines of omnibuses from using certain streets. The Bill also proposes to amend both Sec- tion 11 and Section 14 of the Act of 1867 by abolishing the "special limits" of the Act and making the sections applicable to the whole metropolis. It is a very simple Bill, which I hope the House will be disposed to accept.

MR. THOMAS LOUGH (Islington, W.)

I think the drivers of hansom cabs in London will be greatly disappointed with this Bill, for they expected that when the Home Secretary attempted to legislate upon this question he would do something to ameliorate the hard conditions under which they have been working since this new order was issued by the police. The right honourable Gentleman seems to be asking for powers to persecute the omnibus drivers. ["No, no."]

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT

There will be no persecution.

MR. LOUGH

Well, perhaps that is too strong a word, and I will say powers to "harass" the omnibuses. In one point in particular a great deal of disappointment will be felt. The right honourable Gentleman's predecessor in office showed a good deal of sympathy with these men, and I am sorry that the present Government have broken away from the policy of their predecessors in this respect. Surely, if a new Bill is to be brought in, there should be a provision by which the railway companies would be compelled to allow their yards to be used by all hansom cab drivers, for the relief of "streets in this respect. I think the Bill is very disappointing, and the drivers of cabs will think that some Amendment should be introduced, which I hope the right honourable Gentleman will consider favourably.

Leave was given to introduce the Bill.