European Roads Offer an Interesting Route to Tourists.

Hutt News, Volume 2, Issue 37, 20 February 1930, Page 11

European Roads Offer an Interesting Route to Tourists.

Europe is developing a network of roads that, within a few years,'will be

a magnificent motor highway throughout the length and breadth, of the continent.

* So far as Great Britain is concerned the roads are the finest in the world! There is hardly a -hamlet which is not . intereseeted "by a first-class thoroughfare, and these are kept in perfect condition by local authorities which are subsidized by the Road Board from funds obtained from the motorists themselves. '~ , . . " At the present time England is going through a transitional stage so far as its roads are concerned. The big

towns are being linked up by great arterial motorways on which any speed is possible, though it is legally.restricted. These arteries are designed to expedite road traffic without regard for anything at all except.a straight line a iid an ideal surface.

Tourists who are motoring for pleasvrre rather than speed would enjoy the less frequented highways which axe also fine. Even tie secondary roads are well surfaced and graded.

The chief trouble with English roadsis their crowding. •

British traffic experts are considering schemes for the alleviation of traffic congestion and in the cities experiment have been conducted with juore or less success. One-way traffic ias partially solved London 's problems, although the congested streets of the metropolis cannot entirely be freed without rebuilding the city, which is impracticable.

One-way traffic ha 3 done a great deal to speed up traffic at the various "circuses" vidch are a feature of London streets, but they are not populir with the general public, -which finds it very difficult to cross the live stream of traffic which, constantly surges along du-r----iDg busy •hemrs.

Road maintenance' in Britain ■Is vtty thoroughly achieve'!. Motorists are ti.xed in accordance with the horse power of their vehicles; anl it was ori- £■■•"■ ally laid down that all moneys derived from the tax should b e devoted to road construction and repaid

Road dressing ha.H presence! some "difficulty. PaTt of the historic Great North Road, which runs front j" < ndon to Edinburgh and which can be negotiated on top gear all the way by a moderately powerful car, was declared to be dangerous .because of a surface which was conducive' to skidding. Tiesection was pulled up and a more efficient dressing employed;

Most of- the main roads of Gh:3at Britain are covered with a. smooth and very dun-able dressing, such as tarmac. India rubber-surfaced roads xvhave been tried and one small section, in a city street of London has stood up well to the very considerable traffic which passes over it. Specially constructed non-skid surfaces are a feature of the more modern roads and reinforced concrete is being employed on ,many of the arteries. :

The average touring motorist :s fond of mountain.. scenery and it, iniy be said, that these roads -which permit tsh.e tourist to explore the mountains -of "Wales and Scotland are generally good, though they have been more neglected than t-hose of England, itself. The worst British roads aTe to be found m the Highlands of Scotland, but improvements are at hand. To say that Scot-

tish roads are bafl is to speak relatively. They, say not as good as English.

roads, but to conform to such a standard roads must be nearly perf 3it. Welsh roads are better than^ those of Caledonia, but the? still fall below ; those. of v England. T«here is a wonderful pass which leads through ■: a«J best scenery of Wales known as the 4-Ja-m----beris Pass. This is well grad-jd and "has an excellent surface. . France is probably the most fatcTeating of the European countries'foi* touThi_ by reason of its historic wealth ai.i its recent battlefields. The roads aie generally not, good. There id consJcerable pave and some parts of the country are impracticable for aiot-jring.