§ Mr. HUTCHISONasked the Minister of Transport what additional services have been provided since the London Passenger Transport Board took over the 1049W responsibility for London transport; and whether any information is available as to how the average speed of omnibuses and underground transport has increased since such date?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHASince the inception of the London Passenger Transport Board, omnibus services have been introduced on 10 new routes; 13 routes have been extended, 10 routes have been altered to improve travelling facilities, and on 11 routes increased services are now provided. The operation of coach services has been coordinated. A through tramway service has been instituted between West Croydon and Harrow Road, by way of Mitcham, Tooting, Putney and Hammersmith. The trolley omnibus service previously terminating at Tolworth has been extended to the Portsmouth Road. The Piccadilly Tube has been extended from Enfield West to Cockfosters, and the service on the Picea dilly line extended from South Harrow to Uxbridge, so that there is now a through service between Uxbridge and Cock-fosters, a distance of nearly 32 miles. Increased services have been provided on the Stanmore branch line, and a connecting service between the Metropolitan and District lines has been instituted at Whitechapel. In the central congested areas there has been a slight reduction in the speed of omnibuses, but the increase in speed elsewhere has brought the average above that of June, 1933. On the railways the journey time on the Inner Circle has been reduced by 3½ minutes in slack hours. Accelerations have also been made in the journey times on the Piccadilly, Bakerloo and Central London Tubes.