338 SECTIONAL TRANSACTIONS.—F, G. 
SECTIONS F, G. 
Jornt Meetings on TRANSPORT PROBLEMS. 
(These meetings were held concurrently with the separate meetings of 
the two Sections concerned.) 
Monday, August 31. 
1. Col. H. T. Tupssery.—Economics of Highway Engineering. 
(1) GeneraL.—Scope of Memorandum: Traffic matters, road design, vehicles. 
(2) Trarric.—(a) Increase of traffic, general tendency. London and the Pro- 
vinces. 
(b) Cost of running motor traffic—Analysis of costs. Vehicle-mile. Ton-mile. 
Table of costs in Appendix. 
(c) Main factors affecting saving, so far as track is concerned. Road width, curves, 
gradients, congested districts, level crossings. 
(d) Traffic delays, and their cost. Log of lorry running in dock district. Cost 
of delay. White Gates level crossing. Delay sustained by fleet of 450 vans, and 
probable cost. Table of lorry delays and speeds in Appendix. 
(3) Track.—(a) Location widths and gradients.—Factors that modify the straight- 
line location. Present practice as regards road widths. The economy of acquiring 
sufficient road width in early stages. Operating costs on gradients increased. 
(b) Materials and methods of construction.—Local conditions affect both materials 
and construction of roads. Other factors, traffic, sub-grade. Various forms of 
construction now in use. First costs and maintenance. Tabular statement in 
Appendix. 
(c) Bridges and level crossings.—Cross-roads. Traffic at two levels. Numbers of 
level crossings. Opening bridges versus fixed bridges over waterways. Headway 
clearance. Long-span bridges. Aesthetic treatment. 
(d) Tramways.—Extent of tramways in the Metropolis. Relative proportions of 
passenger traffic carried by Railways, Trams, and *Buses. Total traffic for years 
1920-1-2. What the trams mean to the worker in cheap fares. Trams least affected 
by fog. 
y (4 VeEntIcLe.—(a) Interrelation of vehicle and track.—Motor vehicle responsible 
for enormous improvement in road building and surfacing. Consequent increase 
in maintenance costs. Road has caused use of better tyres, more powerful motors, 
giving high speed and cheap transport. 
(b) Speed and carrying capacity.—Résumé of various Locomotive and Motor Car 
Acts showing gradual increase in weights and speeds. Present limits. The six- 
wheeled motor. 
(5) FUNDAMENTAL PrincrPLes.—(a) T'rack.—Basic requirement of a good road. 
Limits of gradient, curvature, camber and banking. Surface. 
(b) Vehicles—Basic requirements of a good vehicle. Limits of size, weight, 
and speed. Control. Brakes. The driver. 
2. Mr. Puiie Jounson, C.B.E., D.S.0.— The Roadless Transport 
Problem. 
The problem stated. The gap between human or animal and rail transport in 
undeveloped countries. The impossibility of filling this gap by roads or branch 
railway lines owing to capital cost and lack of sufficient traffic. An ideal area trans- 
portation service for undeveloped countries sketched. The vehicles required to fill 
the gap defined and their necessary characteristics stated, Vital importance of the 
vehicle preserving and improving the surface traversed. Comparative approximate 
running costs of all forms of transport required for an area service in undeveloped 
countries. Low cost of some forms of animal transport. The economic deadlock 
between the demand for traffic facilities and the lack of traffic to make railways and 
roads remunerative. What has already been done to break up this deadlock by the 
provision of roadless vehicles. 
Note.—Examples of roadless vehicles were available for inspection and demon 
stration. 
