§ Lieut.-Colonel Bromley-Davenportasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, in view of the very large numbers of passengers he expects to use London Airport within ten years, what steps he is taking to ensure that adequate communication will be provided between the airport and the Metropolis.
§ Mr. WatkinsonThe Cromwell Road Extension when completed will, in conjunction with the new Air terminal at the Cromwell Curve, reduce the coach travelling time between London Airport and the Town Terminal to an estimated 30 to 35 minutes as compared with the present 55 to 60 minutes.
Preparations are in hand to widen the Bath Road from its junction with the Great South West Road to the Western ramp entrance to London Airport, and I hope to publish later this year a draft scheme for the first section of the South Wales Radial Road from the Great West Road at Brentford to the Bath Road between Colnbrook and Slough. This will be a motorway with a spur to London Airport.
Meanwhile, the British Transport Commission, having received the survey 22W report of its consulting engineers on the possibilities of a rail link between the centre of London and the airport, expects shortly to inform me of its views. I shall then be able to decide on the next steps, taking account of the comparative merits of road improvements and of any other currently available proposals such as those for a monorail connection with the airport.