§ Mr. T. JOHNSTONasked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware of the dissatisfaction in the northern district of Argyllshire with the tolls, tariffs and restrictions upon transport imposed by the company which now owns the bridge across the narrow passage of Loch Etive at Connell Ferry and of the penalties imposed upon traders with wagons and machines; whether his attention has been drawn to a case in which a coffin had to be taken out of a hearse and ferried across the loch by the owner of a neighbouring yacht: is he aware that the company's tariff is 1s. 6d. per mile for a corpse and 10½ per mile if the corpse is that of child under 12 years of age: and will he inquire into this?
§ Mr. GOSLINGI would refer my hon. Friend generally to the reply given to him to-day to another question regarding Connell Ferry Bridge.
§ Mr. JOHNSTONasked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that the old right of way at Connell Ferry, Argyllshire, was taken over by the Oban-Callendar Railway Company upon the pledge that the bridge the company would erect over Loch Etive would serve the public at reasonable charges; that the present tolls include 10s. for a motor car, 5s. for a horse, 2s. for a sheep, and that every animal taken over the bridge must be led singly upon a halter; that every time a man crosses the bridge in charge of an animal he has to pay 2d. in addition to the charge for the animal, which means 2s. 2d. for the passage of a single sheep; and whether, seeing that these serious restrictions and tolls upon transport operate in restraint of trade in the Appen district, he will say what steps he proposes to take in the matter?
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§ Mr. GOSLINGThe tolls in question were approved by the Board of Trade in 1914 after a local inquiry. My Department had some correspondence with the Caledonian Railway Company with regard to the tolls in 1922, but it was not then found practicable to make any reduction in view of the increased expenditure on the bridge. I am sending a copy of my hon. Friend's question to the London, Midland and Scottish Railway Company, and will communicate further with him in due course.