TRANSPORT CONTROL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 June 1938, Page 7

TRANSPORT CONTROL

' ' PEACE AND WAR PLANS IN BRITAIN THE DIVERSION OF TRAFFIC IN EMERGENCIES. TRUNK ROAD EXTENSION. (British Official Wireless.) (Recd This Day, 11.2 a.m.) RUGBY, June 17. Speaking on his Department’s vote in the House of Commons the Minister of Transport, the Rt Hon E. L. Burgin, said for the first time the vote included a small section described as the transport defence plans section, which was engaged in the consideration of home defence plans as they would affect transport formation. This special section in the Ministry reflected the important part which transport played in home defence. Among important matters under consideration were those which would arise should it ever be necessary to divert shipping from the East to the West Coast, or to distribute imports from the West Coast. Apart from these, rail, road and other inland transport services would have to be adopted to meet abnormal conditions in a time of emergency. Dealing with a five-year programme of trunk roads, Mr Burgin said schemes had been submitted to an estimated total cost of over £129,000,000, of which works up to £93,500,000 had been approved to date. On the subject of road accidents Mr Burgin said the problem constituted a challenge to humanity, adequately to impress itself with the stupidity and cruelty of allowing the toll of the roads to continue.