§ Captain WARINGasked the Home Secretary if he will direct the police authorities to pay more heed to the regulation of the motor traffic in crowded thoroughfares, especially at cross streets and turnings, instead of constantly detecting in the uncrowded parks small differences of speed, the highest of which as a rule is well below the 20-mile limit?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLI do not think any directions are necessary. The police give constant attention to the regulation of motor traffic in crowded thoroughfares. They have prosecuted in only twenty cases since the beginning of this year for exceeding the speed limit in Royal Parks.
§ Mr. FELLasked the Home Secretary if he will consider the question of the necessity of making further provision for the protection of the general public, both on the pavements and in vehicles, from the dangers they run from the excessive speed of the meter omnibuses; and whether he will consider the desirability of requiring speedometers with large dials to be fixed to the sides of them, so that the police may be able to prosecute whenever the maximum speed of twelve miles an hour is exceeded?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLThe question of the speed of motor vehicles in the streets of London is receiving my attention, but I am advised that the suggestion made in the question is impracticable.
§ Mr. CHURCHILLThe general question of speedometers of a proper character has often been considered. Everybody is agreed in principle that it is desirable to have them, but I cannot now go into this matter which is a very complex one.
Captain MURRAYWould it not be possible to do something to prevent taxi-cabs in particular, from exceeding the speed limit?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLMuch is done by the control of the police, but I am not aware that the law is broken to any great extent since the Act has come into operation.
Mr. CATHCART WASONasked the President of the Local Government Board if he will state how many applications have been received by his Department for limitation of speed of motor vehicles and how they have been dealt with?
§ The PRESIDENT of the LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. Burns)The Local Government Board have received since the Motor Car Act, 1903, came into force forty-four applications under Section 8 for restriction of speed or prohibition and 230 applications under Section 9 for imposition of a ten-mile limit. Regulations have been issued in respect of fifteen applications under Section 8 and 102 applications under Section 9, and regulations have been promised in respect of eleven under Section 9. In seven cases under Section 8 and thirty-under Section 9 regulations have been refused. Three applications under Section 8 and twenty-seven under Section 9 are still under consideration. The remaining applications have either been definitely withdrawn or have been allowed to fall in abeyance.