§ Mr. Nabarroasked the Minister of Transport what constructional requirements are imposed upon public service passenger vehicles over three tons unladen weight, as distinct from goods vehicles over such weight, which justify the former being permitted a maximum speed limit of 10 miles per hour in excess of the latter.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydPublic service vehicles must satisfy the requirements of the Public Service Vehicles (Conditions of Fitness) Regulations as well as those of the Motor Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations and are subject to regular inspection. For these and other reasons I could not accept that speed limits or other conditions applying to public service vehicles should necessarily be the same as those applying to goods vehicles.
§ Mr. Nabarroasked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that goods vehicles of over three tons unladen weight are allowed to travel at over 30 miles per hour in Canada, South Africa. New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, Italy and many other countries; and whether, in reaching a decision as to how to deal with this problem in this country, he will ascertain whether any drawbacks have arisen in these countries as a result of allowing higher speed limits for such vehicles.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydI am aware that the facts are broadly as mentioned, but conditions in these countries differ so widely from those in Great Britain that I do not think the suggested inquiry would serve any useful purpose.
§ Mr. Nabarroasked the Minister of Transport whether he will appoint a committee of experts or request the Road Research Laboratory to investigate the extent to which recent technological developments in connection with the design and construction of heavy goods vehicles have rendered out of date the speed limits imposed upon them 23 years ago by the Road Traffic Act, 1930.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydNo. The objections to raising the speed limit for vehicles of this class are not of a technological nature.
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§ Mr. Nabarroasked the Minister of Transport what information is available from the Road Research Laboratory as to the extent to which goods vehicles of over three tons unladen weight in this country make a practice of travelling at over 20 miles per hour; and what information is available from that laboratory as to the economic advantages and safety considerations arising in that connection.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydA number of sample observations of speeds of travel of commercial vehicles have been made by the Road Research Laboratory on roads in non-built-up areas. Of the vehicles observed which were legally restricted to a maximum of 20 m.p.h., over 90 per cent. were exceeding that speed and 70 per cent. were travelling at 25 m.p.h. or over.
No information is available from the Laboratory on the second part of the Question.