§ 78. Sir C. Taylorasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will make a statement on what road work is planned to deal with the week-end congestion on roads from London to seaside resorts.
§ Mr. WatkinsonWork is going forward and planned which will do much to help relieve congestion on the London—Great Yarmouth Road, the London—Folkestone and the London—Brighton Roads. The total cost of these schemes is over £3½ million. In addition, works are planned on the Portsmouth Road and the London—Exeter Road, and a draft scheme for the Medway Towns by-pass is in course of preparation.
142WI recognise, however, that because of the necessity to give high priority to motor roads in industrial areas and bottlenecks in urban areas many of these schemes cannot make an immediate contribution to the problem. I am most anxious to see whether any temporary measures can be devised which may make it easier for the week-end motorist, and to this end I have asked Mr. Alex Samuels, in collaboration with officers of my Ministry, to make an immediate survey of week-end traffic in this area to see whether temporary expedients can be devised whilst we press on with major road works. Mr. Samuels will be seeking the callaboration of the police, the local highway authorities and the motoring associations, and I have asked him to report to me as a matter of urgency what measures can be adopted covering both traffic control and alternative routes.