HC Deb 07 June 1961 vol 641 cc1074-5
25. Mr. Ridsdale

asked the Minister of Transport whether, with a view to speeding up the flow of traffic from London to the north-east Essex coast, he will consider making a series of one-way routes to deal with peak-time holiday traffic.

Mr. Hay

No, Sir. A one-way traffic system in a rural area, even if it would help holiday traffic, would be likely to cause grave inconvenience to the local users of the roads. The local authorities responsible are, however, arranging for alternative routes to the Essex coast to be signposted, and for the police to divert traffic from main roads when necessary.

Mr. Ridsdale

Is my hon. Friend aware that I regard that as a very unsatisfactory reply? Is he aware that until he can expedite the work on the Stanway by-pass and the Brentwood bypass and at Gallows Corner more radical schemes are needed to overcome the serious problems arising from the increased flow of traffic to the north-east Essex coast? Will my hon. Friend please stop being so complacent about it?

Mr. Hay

These are pretty hard words for my hon. Friend to use. I tried to answer the Question on the Order Paper which suggested that my right hon. Friend should make a series of one-way roads in rural Essex. I have given reasons why we do not think that a suitable method for dealing with the problem. I can assure my hon. Friend that there are many other things that we are trying to do, including looking into the problems on the various roads which he mentioned. I hope that these will have some alleviating effect.

Mr. B. Harrison

Will my hon. Friend realise that nothing could be more inconvenient to people living near that road, and that it is quite impossible over many hours of the weekend to get across it or to get on to it? Is he aware that something must be done either by way of by-passes or by the adoption of the idea of my hon. Friend the Member for Harwich (Mr. Ridsdale).

Mr. Hay

Perhaps my Answer was not quite so discouraging as was thought by my hon. Friend the Member for Harwich (Mr. Ridsdale).

Mr. Ridsdale

In view of the very unsatisfactory nature of the reply, I beg to give notice that I shall endeavour to raise the matter on the Adjournment.