HC Deb 30 October 1957 vol 575 cc201-2
16. Mr. Russell

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what further progress has been made in widening streets by narrowing unnecessarily wide pavements in urban areas.

Mr. Nugent

Of the list of sites in London given in my right hon. Friend's Answer to my hon. Friend on 27th February, 1956, three schemes have now been completed and two are in hand.

Mr. Russell

Will my right hon. Friend do everything possible to speed up improvements of this kind, as very great improvements in traffic flow could result?

Mr. Nugent

Yes, we think that an improvement can be made in some places. I am now pursuing inquiries into the five suggestions which I have recently had from my hon. Friend, and I will let him know the outcome shortly.

Mr. Gresham Cooke

Will my hon. Friend consider taking one narrow main road into London, for example, King's Road from Putney Bridge to Chelsea, to see whether he cannot systematically widen the road by taking off unnecessarily wide pavements and see whether great improvements to traffic flow cannot be made on one road as an example of the sort of thing which might be done generally?

Mr. Nugent

We are now considering where pavements are wider than is necessary for pedestrian flow and where such improvements can be made, and in due course they will be made.

Mr. Lipton

Will the hon. Gentleman bear in mind that, no matter how much he may narrow the pavements in London, there will still he too many cars on the roads?

Mr. Nugent

We can make some improvements in this way.

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