§ 12. Mr. David Jamesasked the Minister of Transport whether he will seek powers to paint keep left guide lines on busy pavements to facilitate pedestrian movement in rush-hours.
§ Mr. MarplesHighway authorities already have powers to do this. But previous experiments with a pedestrian keep-to-the-left rule proved unsuccessful.
§ Mr. JamesThis is a continuation of the point made on the previous Question. As my right hon. Friend is aware, pedestrian self-discipline is practised with complete success in cities as far apart as Melbourne and Moscow. Would it not be to the general convenience, particularly during the rush-hours, if my right hon. Friend made a concerted effort to make people, in the pedestrian and not in the political sense, keep to the left?
§ Mr. MarplesThe question of keeping to the left is one for the county borough or local highway authority concerned. We have had experience of this sort. There was the Slough road safety experiment in 1957, when signs were used in an effort to persuade pedestrians to keep to the left, but that did not work. The majority either kept to the right or to the side nearest to the shop windows they wanted to look at. If any local authority wishes to try the experiment again, I shall assist, certainly in the constituency of my hon. Friend.
§ Mr. JamesCould not my right hon. Friend take this matter a little more seriously? We are the most law-abiding country in the world and this unquestionably would be for the universal convenience. Will my right hon. Friend try a little harder?
§ Mr. MarplesMy hon. Friend has misjudged me; I take this seriously. I have discussed it with RoSPA from the safety point of view and we have carried out experiments, but they have failed. If he can persuade local authorities in his constituency to carry out experiments, I will do my best to help them.