§ 22. Mr. Russellasked the Minister of Transport what guidance other than the Regulations contained in Statutory Instrument No. 761 of 1959, has been given by his Department to authorities responsible for marking roads with double white lines.
§ Mr. HayApart from the details given in the Regulations to which my hon. Friend refers, information and advice was given in Circulars issued in March and June, 1958, and in a further Circular No. 759 issued in April last. We are about to issue a new note to all highway authorities. Meanwhile our divisional road engineers continue to give guidance as required.
§ Mr. RussellI thank my hon. Friend for that reply, but is he aware that some local authorities are making both white lines continuous at places where it is perfectly possible for every driver to see whether or not he can overtake; and that if that is done on a large scale, the whole system will fall into disrepute, and will not be used?
§ Mr. HayI know that there have been some difficulties of that kind. This is a somewhat novel system in this country, but I think that the note that we are about to issue, as I have just said, will help to clear up the matter.
§ Mr. BevanBut will it result in greater uniformity of practice among local authorities? Is it not a fact that the general impression has been that the white lines have been put down in the most extravagant fashion? If one goes along many of our roadways now, one will see that motorists have, in some cases, to ignore the white lines to get along at all.