§ 27. Colonel DAYasked the Minister of Transport the number and names of authorities or companies owning electric tramcars within the metropolitan area that derive their power from overhead wires; whether his attention has been drawn to the danger experienced by pedestrians owing to the breakage of uninsulated wires; whether any action is possible with a view to avoiding such danger; and, if so, will he consider introducing legislation making it compulsory to prevent this danger?
§ Colonel ASHLEYThere are 12 authorities or companies working tramways in the Metropolitan Police Area on the overhead trolley system, namely, Barking Urban District Council, Bexley and Dart-ford Joint Committee, Croydon Corporation, East Ham Corporation, Erith Urban District Council, IIford Urban District Council, London County Council, London United Tramways, Limited, Metropolitan Electric Tramways, Limited, South Metropolitan Electric Tramways and Lighting Company, Limited, Walthamstow Urban District Council, and West Ham Corporation. The number of reported cases of injury caused by the falling of the overhead conductor wires of tramway systems in the Metropolitan Police Area is very small, and it would not seem from the reports received that legislative action is necessary. The duty of proper maintenance of such wires rests with the tramway authorities, and I have no evidence at present of any general neglect of this duty.