§ Mr. TOUCHEasked the Home Secretary if he is aware that the practice of motor omnibuses passing on the near-side of stationary tramcars is continually observed at tramcar stopping places by the Nag's Head, along Seven Sisters Road, by Finsbury Park, by the Athenæum, Camden Road, by Holloway Gaol, Camden Road, and through the narrow portions of Caledonian Road; that, as a result of an omnibus being driven between the near-side of a stationary car and the footway kerb, a member of the staff of the Islington Borough Council was fatally injured in Upper Street while in the act of boarding a car; will it come within the scope of the Select Committee to take into consideration a recommendation of the Islington Municipal Officers' Association that it should be made unlawful for omnibuses to be driven on the near-side of tramcar standing for the purpose of allowing people to board or leave it; and, seeing that there is no statutory or universal rule in London authorising the practice, is it necessary to await the Report of the Select Committee before anything is done to prevent the continuance of loss of life from a cause which might be remedied without imposing any undue hardship on the omnibus companies or interfering with traffic; and is nothing further to be done to bring the control of London traffic into correspondence with modern traffic conditions until after the Committee has reported?
§ Mr. McKENNAWhere tramlines exist in the middle of a street, all overtaking vehicles, whether motor or horse-drawn, are allowed to pass, and usually do pass, on the near-side in order to avoid greater danger in passing on the off-side. I am 513W informed that the case of fatal injury to which the hon. Member refers is sub judice. It will be open to the Select Committee to consider this matter.