HC Deb 23 July 1958 vol 592 cc402-5
30. Mr. Gresham Cooke

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what proposals he has in mind for regulating traffic on the new motorways, in view of the expected opening of the Preston By-pass in the autumn; and whether he will make a statement.

The Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation (Mr. Harold Watkinson)

I laid before Parliament yesterday two Statutory Instruments, one varying the classes of traffic authorised to use the motorway, the other varying for special roads the speed limits applicable to certain classes of vehicles. We have no experience of motorways in this country, and these Orders must therefore be somewhat experimental. Both have been set to expire in a year's time, to ensure full consideration of our experience on the Preston By-pass before the first long motorway, from London to Birmingham, comes into use next autumn. I also propose to promulgate other regulations and a code of conduct dealing with behaviour when driving on motorways.

I will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT full details of these proposals.

Mr. Gresham Cooke

While thanking my right hon. Friend for tabling these Regulations in good time before the opening of the Preston motorway, may I ask if he is aware that there is a certain amount of concern that heavy abnormal indivisable loads are to be banned from these motorways and left to go on the old roads? Will he consider that?

Mr. Watkinson

Motorways are made to speed up traffic and I think it at least arguable that if we filled them with enormous indivisible loads they might not fulfil their purposes. What I should like to make plain to the House is, as I said in my Answer, that we have had no experience with this kind of road in this country. I do not think we can necessarily say that what happens in America or anywhere else is a fair yardstick to apply here. I think we had better try these experiments, including the one affecting indivisible loads, and see how we get on.

Mr. Ernest Davies

Can the right hon. Gentleman say whether these Regulations will be subject to negative or affirmative procedure and whether they will be debatable before they are put into force?

Mr. Watkinson

They will be subject to an affirmative Resolution and therefore debatable, and I have specifically made them to run out in a year's time, so they are purely experimental.

Following are the details:

PROPOSALS FOR REGULATING TRAFFIC ON MOTORWAYS

(Note: As both the Order varying the classes of traffic and the Regulations varying the speed limit on special roads are framed to expire on August 1st, 1959, the following proposals will in effect apply only to the Preston By-Pass.)

1. Classes of Vehicles Permitted on Special Roads The Special Roads (Classes of Traffic) Order, 1958, if approved, will vary the classes of traffic set out as Class I and Class II in the Second Schedule to the Special Roads Act, 1949, by excluding from those classes—
  1. (i) motor cycles of less than 50 c.c. capacity,
  2. (ii) vehicles chargeable with duty under section 4 (2) (a) of the Vehicles (Excise) Act. 1949, as amended by section 13 of the 404 Finance Act, 1950, i.e. vehicular agricultural machinery,
  3. (iii) vehicles used for the transport of abnormal indivisible loads except vehicles constructed for naval, military, air force or other defence purposes, the use of which is authorised by an Order under paragraph (b) of the proviso to section 3 (1) of the Road Traffic Act, 1930.
 Accordingly, where (as in the case of the Preston By-Pass) the Scheme under which a motorway is provided has specified Class I or Class II as the classes of traffic which may use the motorway, the only vehicles which will be permitted on the motorway will be those comprised in those classes as varied by this Order subject to such exceptions as may be permitted by the Regulations referred to below. 2. Speed Limits Under the Motor Vehicles (Speed Limit on Special Roads) Regulations, 1958, if approved, motor vehicles drawing a trailer (not being articulated vehicles), if the trailer has less than four wheels or is a close-coupled four-wheeled trailer, will be subject to a speed limit of 40 m.p.h. With this exception no speed limit applicable generally to any class of vehicle will apply on motorways. 3. Conduct of Drivers on Motorways Regulations will be made under section 12 of the Special Roads Act, 1949, to cover the following matters:—
  1. (a) The prohibition of stopping on the driving surface or carriageway of a motorway (as distinct from its "hard shoulder") except in the case of force majeure, to avoid collision, when ordered or signalled by the police, or in obedience to a legal traffic sign.
  2. (b) The authorisation of stopping on the "hard shoulder" only in the event of emergency distress or breakdown, and then only for the minimum period necessary (provision will eventually be made for parking or waiting at service areas and possibly subject to any necessary time limits and to rules preventing misuse of the areas, but there are no service areas or lay-bys on the Preston By-Pass).
  3. (c) The prohibition of crossing, parking, or driving on the central reservation.
  4. (d) The provision of exemptions from (a), (b), and (c), in the case of emergency and maintenance services by police, ambulance and fire services, motoring organisation patrols, breakdown or cleaning vehicles and those used for improvement or construction of the road or its bridges, or removal of obstructions, etc.
  5. (e) A provision that each carriageway may only be used in one direction, except in obedience to orders or signals of the police or to a legal traffic sign.
  6. (f) The prohibition of parking or waiting on the approach roads to the motorway except in the event of emergency, distress or breakdown and then only for the minimum period necessary.
 4. Pedestrians, etc. Pedestrians are not authorised to use a motorway unless the Scheme under which the motorway is provided specifies them as a class of traffic which may use the motorway. It is proposed to make regulations controlling the movement of drivers and passengers of vehicles who are for any reason on foot on a motorway. 5. Motorway Code A motorway code will be prepared which will contain guidance to drivers who use these new roads; it will be designed to emphasise the differences between driving on a motorway and on an ordinary road. The code will prescribe the principles of safe driving on roads designed for high speeds, and will stress the special danger of fatigue and drowsiness in such circumstances. Prominence will be given to the importance of observing lane discipline and of giving long advance warning when joining or leaving a motorway. Advice will be given on the correct method of approaching a motorway and with regard to safe movement from one traffic lane to another. Other matters which will be covered in the code will include advice on driving at speed after dark and full particulars of the traffic signs which will be used.