§ 2.35 p.m.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have been able to examine the French plan for the institution of a "blue zone" for the control of parked motor vehicles, and, if so, whether it offers a cheaper and more efficient method of dealing with the problem than the institution of parkins, meters; and, if so, whether the institution of parking meters can be deferred for further consideration, and so save the country a considerable amount of unnecessary expense.]
§ THE MINISTER WITHOUT PORTFOLIO (LORD MANCROFT)My Lords, my right honourable friend the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation has received a detailed report of this French system of parking control from Mr. Alex Samuels. Chairman of the London and Home Counties Traffic Advisory Committee, and a small group of experts who at the Minister's request recently visited Paris to make a special study of the so-called "blue zone" and of this disc parking device. In spite of its apparent success in Paris, Her Majesty's Government consider that it would be less effective than parking meters as a method of parking control in the different conditions which exist in this country, particularly in London. The French disc system does nothing to control where parking may take place; nor, since it makes no direct charge for parking, does it do anything to regulate the demand. The system is more readily evaded, and it is estimated that it would take three times as 564 many people to enforce adequately compared with parking meters. Her Majesty's Government do not therefore believe that the system provides any reason for deferring the experiment with parking meters, which, as has already been announced they have decided to authorise.
§ EARL HOWEMy Lords, while thanking the noble Lord for that Answer, I should like to ask him whether he is aware that the so-called experiment of decorating certain areas of the West End with parking meters is likely to cost about £90,000? I have in my hand the French equivalent of the parking meter, which costs exactly nothing. In these circumstances, ought not the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation to think again? Why spend £90,000 when you can have something that is practically the same for nothing?
§ LORD MANCROFTMy Lords, I too have a copy in my hand; and I agree that it costs nothing. But surely we have to set against the cost the efficacy of the scheme, and in our opinion parking meters will be much more efficient than this French scheme.
§ LORD DERWENTMy Lords, may I ask my noble friend whether we could not also have, in the same area, in conjunction with the parking meters, an experimental "blue zone" for that part of the area in which parking meters will not be put up?
§ LORD MANCROFTMy Lords, I think that that would lead to total chaos. I think that it would be preferable to try our scheme first and see how it works.