§ 8. Mr. Hollandasked the Minister of Transport what long-term proposals he has for the easing of traffic congestion and the protection of pedestrians in and adjacent to Western Avenue at Gipsy Corner and East Acton Circus.
§ Mr. HayA report is being prepared for the comprehensive improvement of this section of Western Avenue, including grade separation at certain major junctions. We cannot announce firm proposals until this has been considered. But as an interim measure a pedestrian subway will shortly be built at Allan Way, and others will be provided near Penryn Road and Wales Farm Road. A one-way traffic experiment is being considered to improve conditions at East Acton Circus.
§ Mr. HollandI thank my hon. Friend for the encouraging part of that "curate's egg". May I ask whether he can inject a greater sense of urgency into the solving of this problem, particularly with relation to the East Acton Circus? Is he aware that, apart from the high accident rate from traffic flow in East Acton Circus, four police officers have to be taken off different work to spend two hours every evening trying to drain off the morass of congested traffic clogging this valve of the 1303 main artery from the Metropolis to the Principality?
§ Mr. HayI do not think that anything in my Answer would justify a complaint that we are not treating this matter with urgency. We are having a report prepared on the whole of Western Avenue and we are considering on experiment in one-way traffic at East Acton Circus.