asked the Minister for Local Government if he will indicate the sections of the Road Traffic Bill, 1960, which make any substantial addition to the general scheme of legislation to amend the Road Traffic Act, 1933, considered and adopted by the Government in Autumn, 1956.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Road Traffic Bill, 1960.
44.
It is difficult to compare a Bill which has been finally drafted with mere Heads of a Bill. Furthermore, different interpretations could be placed on the expression "substantial addition"; what one Deputy might regard as relatively unimportant would be considered by another to be of fundamental importance.
Fundamental changes in the 1956 Heads, some of which had effect on the drafting of more than one Head, or indeed more than one Part, include the following:
(1)the introduction of periodical vehicle tests;
(2)the introduction of comprehensive driving and fitness tests, affecting the drafting of the whole of Part III of the Bill;
(3)the radical extension of consequential disqualification;
(4)the replacement of the provisions of the Criminal Justice Act, 1951, regarding the remission of driving licence disqualifications;
(5)the adoption of absolute rather than prima facie speed limits and other changes affecting speed limits, involving the whole of Part IV of the Bill;
(6)the introduction of the offence of dangerous parking;
(7)substantial increases in penalties, affecting very many sections, and in particular Part V, which deals with serious driving offences;
(8)the adoption of "use" instead of "driving" as the basis for provisions on compulsory insurance;
(9)the retention of the licensing of hackneys as public service vehicles;
(10)the introduction of various provisions regarding onus of proof, arising out of Court decisions;
(11)provisions enabling the relevant authorities to use parking meters and other modern systems of parking control;
(12)provisions extending the powers of local authorities in regard to the provision of off-street car parks;
(13)a provision enabling Road Fund grants to be made available for road safety purposes.
As I mentioned in my introductory remarks on the Second Reading of the Bill, very many important considerations had to be taken into account in the drafting of the Bill and numerous changes were decided on as a result. An examination of the Bill as a whole shows that, compared with the 1956 Heads, at least 71 sections of the Bill are either completely new or involve amendments or additions of substance, viz:—
Sections 3-5 inclusive, Section 11, Sections 14-16 inclusive, Sections 18 and 19, all of Part III except Sections 21 and 37 (21 sections), all of Part IV (4 sections), all of Part V except Section 50 (7 sections), Sections 56, 65, 69, 71, 72, 76, 82, 84, 86, Sections 88-91 inclusive, Sections 95-97 inclusive, Sections 101-103 inclusive, Sections 105-107 inclusive, Section 109, Sections 114-116 inclusive, Sections 118-120 inclusive, Sections 123 and 124.