§ 4. Mr. Jegerasked the Minister of Transport how many officials of his Department are now fully engaged on traffic engineering in the interests of road safety.
§ The Minister of Transport (Mr. Ernest Marples)There are 54 engineering staff in my Department wholly engaged on traffic engineering. Traffic engineering deals with traffic flow, road safety and many other allied problems but these 54 traffic engineers keep road safety principles well to the forefront when preparing or examining schemes.
§ Mr. JegerAre these 54 officials available to give advice to local authorities? Many of the smaller towns are trying to grapple, but unsuccessfully, with traffic problems which come in from outside, and which the authorities are not big enough to deal with on their own.
§ Mr. MarplesCertainly if I in the central Government can help any local authority with any of its problems I shall be delighted to do so. I am bound to say that the one classic example of traffic engineering is Tottenham Court Road and Gower Street where, once we had one-way traffic, the traffic went twice as fast and the casualties among pedestrians were reduced by 30 per cent. If any local authority would wish advice and guidance I should be really grateful if it would get in touch with me.
§ Mr. JegerCould I then advise my own Goole local authority to get in touch with the right hon. Gentleman in order to get traffic engineers sent up there to deal with the railway crossing across the main road?
§ Mr. MarplesThe hon. Gentleman could certainly advise Goole local authority, but what Goole local authority would do with the advice is another matter.