§ 17. Mr. Templeasked the Minister of Transport what advice he received when he consulted interested bodies concerning the imposition of a 40 miles per hour speed limit on the A.51 clearway in the vicinity of Vicars Cross, near Chester; which local authorities were directly, and which indirectly, consulted; and if he will make a statement.
§ Vice-Admiral Hughes HallettThe proposal for a 40 m.p.h. speed limit on this road was put forward in 1961 by the Cheshire County Council with the support of the Chester Rural District Council. We were unable to accept the proposal because we did not regard the speed limit as justified. We have recently consulted the county council again to see whether it adheres to its earlier views now that the road has been made a clearway. We await its reply.
§ Mr. TempleIs my hon. and gallant Friend aware that all the local authorities, including Cheshire County Council, have already made their views perfectly clear, and will he, in view of the unanimous desire of all the local interests, impose a speed limit at the very earliest opportunity?
§ Vice-Admiral Hughes HallettNo, Sir, not without further consideration, and not without an answer to our last question. It is a fact that the fatal accident rate and the proportion of fatal and serious accidents are well below the national average. No pedestrians ware involved in accidents in the five years from 1958 to 1962 and over a quarter of the accidents which occurred were with parked vehicles, which have now ceased.