Doubts raised on CPC exam
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MORE THAN 30 small operators turned out at Ealing on Monday to meet 0 licence committee chairman Prof. Christopher Foster to tell him what they thought was wrong with the present system.
It was the first of a series of country-wide public meetings at which the committee will gather "grass roots" evidence from owner drivers and small hauliers.
And it transpired that what was worrying them most Was the introduction of the certificate of professional competence.
Following a point raised by a group of contract drivers working for Readymix Concrete, the committee will now consider whether a transport manager may be appointed by the company which employs the owner drivers on contract, rather than forcing all owner drivers to take the CPC exam.
The committee will now discuss whether such a case is an exception to the present rules, assistant secretary Oliver Pearcey told CM.
Mr Pearcey said he thought the meeting a success. "We had a reasonable turn-out considering the short notice and that Ealing is not too accessible," he told us.
Topics discussed ranged over the whole sphere of haulage operation, and included safety and cost of replacing vehicles. Many of the smaller hauliers, it appeared, were now changing to a system of inflation accounting to permit them to replace their vehicles.
All operators were concerned over the introduction of EEC regulations and how they would affect future UK operations.
Later Mr Pearcey commented: "All these matters were related to the 0 licence as they are all enforceable through the licence."
A Canterbury haulier commented: "This was a useful meeting. Now we have met the men who are looking at the industry."
And the committee agreed. "We felt it was a useful gathering and we shall be reporting back to the committee at the next regular meeting," said Mr Pearcey.
Only three of the committee members, former union official Percy Coldrick, expoliceman Phillip Candy and Conrad Dahn, QC, were at the meeting.
It is expected that other meetings will follow the same pattern. Another meeting was due to be held in Cardiff last night (Thursday) and the next will be in Edinburgh on Wednesday at the Mahogany Room, the North British Hotel, Princes Street. The last scheduled meeting is in Birmingham on March 31 at the Birmingham Medical Institute, 36 Harborne Road, Birmingham. All meetings are at 7pm.