Clause 43 - Directions as to placing of apparatus
Traffic Management Bill
4:00 pm
Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch, Conservative)
The amendment is an attempt to include a provision in the Bill that would help statutory undertakers. It would restrict the power of the traffic authority to direct the placing of apparatus if it adds cost to the undertaking. It is a reasonable amendment. Why should statutory undertakers have to pay a substantial penalty because the highway or street authority thinks that the apparatus should be placed somewhere else? Statutory undertakers do not dig up the road, lay cables or pipes where there is no need for them to do so. They certainly do not wish to lay pipes over longer distances and incur substantial additional costs because the local authority says that they should. The amendment would restrict the local authority's power to give directions when the effect of doing so would add significantly to the statutory undertaker's costs.