§ 35. Mr. Templeasked the Minister of Transport how many bus stops without Jay-bys there are on the stretch of clear way on the trunk road from a point out side the Vicars Cross Golf Club to the point where this clearway meets the Chester cuter ring road.
§ The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport (Mr. John Hay)Eight, Sir—four on each side of the road.
§ Mr. TempleDoes not my hon. Friend think that this stopping on the highway by public service vehicles destroys the the whole concept of a clearway?
§ Mr. HayNot necessarily. Public service vehicles have to stop on clearways as well as on other roads where clearway conditions are not in operation. We try to ensure that where there is a need for buses to stop on a clearway and they cannot do it without obstruction, if possible they pull off the road.
§ 36. Mr. Templeasked the Minister of Transport on what date he commenced his consultations with the Cheshire County Council with regard to the imposition of a 40 miles per hour speed limit on the clearway between the Vicars Cross Golf Club and the termination of this clearway close to the boundary of the city of Chester; and if he will make a statement regarding the present position of the consultations.
§ Mr. HayOn 26th February. They are now prepared to await the results of six months' operation of the clearway before expressing a view on the 40 m.p.h. limit proposal. We shall be willing to consider the matter then.
§ Mr. TempleIs it not now perfectly clear that all local opinion is in favour of a 40 m.p.h. speed limit in order to increase the safety factor on this very dangerous stretch of highway?
§ Mr. HayA number of views have been expressed to us at different times and sometimes those views have differed from the views which have been expressed previously. I think that we had better wait for another couple of months and let the experiment finish, and then we can look at the whole thing again.