§ 75. Mr. R. MORRISON forasked the Minister of Transport whether his attention has been called to accidents which have arisen at level crossings in the district of Hull; whether he is satisfied that the Regulations as regards the exhibiting of lights at level crossings are sufficient to safeguard the users of the roads; whether he is aware that at certain level crossings there is no obligation upon the railway company to provide lights; and whether he will consider the introduction of an improved system of lighting and making general the obligation to observe same?
§ Colonel ASHLEYI am aware that in a recent case, when a motor car ran into gates at a railway level crossing near Hull, the Court of Appeal decided that the railway company could not be held to be negligent by reason of the fact that the gates were not lighted. I may, however, explain that while there is no general statutory provision requiring railway companies to exhibit lights during the night on level crossing gates, it is the normal practice of my Department, when sanctioning new railways, to require level crossing gates to be lighted. It is fair to the railway companies to say that they have, generally speaking, adopted this practice, not only in cases where they have been thus required to adopt it, but also in other cases where the lines may have been sanctioned many years ago by the Board of Trade without this condition having been imposed. If, however, any exceptional cases are brought to my notice where danger is caused by the absence of lights on railway level crossings I will take the matter up with the company concerned.