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6 7
missioners, and asked the Government to promote a Bill in Parliament
to give effect to this proposal. A deputation, arranged by
the Browning Hall Conference on Housing, attended before the
General Purposes Committee of the London County Council in
July last, in support of steps being taken to secure the immediate
appointment of a Traffic Board in accordance with the views of
the Royal Commission. Councillor Walker represented this
Council on the deputation.
Motor Traffic.
118. A number of complaints having been received during
the past year of the annoyance caused by motor
omnibus traffic, the Council called the attention of
the Commissioner of Police thereto, as the omnibuses are licensed
by the police before being put on the roads. In reply to the
Council's communications the Commissioner stated that he had
given his special attention to the problems presented by the
general introduction of motor omnibuses and was satisfied that
the police were fully alive to the necessity of strictly enforcing
the law in all cases, that whenever vapour was seen to be
emitted by motor omnibuses the matter was reported by the police
and particulars sent to the London County Council for any action
to be taken which that Council might consider desirable; that in
consequence of the action of the police in taking proceedings
against drivers exceeding the 12 mile limit and also in communicating
with the proprietors on the subject, the drivers were now
more careful as to speed; that the attention of the proprietors
had already been drawn to the practice which was beginning to
obtain of repairing and oiling omnibuses at standings, and that
although in a few cases oiling continued, repairing had ceased,
and he (the Commissioner) had made representations to the proprietors
as to the nuisance caused by the dropping of lubricating
oil; and that the police were taking what steps they could to
abate the nuisances complained of. The police have since been
able to arrange for these omnibuses to be restricted to the main
streets, as far as possible, and the annoyance to inhabitants of
residential roads has thereby been considerably lessened.
119. A Conference convened by the Islington and Kensington
Borough Councils with the view of joint action being taken to
promote legislation for controlling the motor traffic of London
was held at the Westminster City Hall in January last, this