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Mr. Nugent Denies Widespread Breaches of Drivers' Hours

11th April 1958, Page 61
11th April 1958
Page 61
Page 61, 11th April 1958 — Mr. Nugent Denies Widespread Breaches of Drivers' Hours
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

AWHOLESALE onslaught on hauliers was made in an Easter adjournment debate in the House of Commons by Mr. Ernest Davies (Lab., Enfield East). There was, he claimed, ample evidence that many road haulage drivers were being employed for far longer hours than the law permitted.

Since denationalization there had been a steady increase in the -number of offences committed in connection with drivers' hours, and in the number of prosecutions and convictions. Only a small proportion of the offenders was brought to court.

Drivers exceeded the permitted hours for two reasons. The first was the temptation to earn easy money, which was generally handed out in cash. The second was the fear of being dismissed. The less scrupulous haulier insisted on drivers breaking the law under the threat of being discharged. The only cure for this state of affairs was to reorganize the road transport industry.

" I think the Minister could help to minimize the number of infringements by employing more officers and streamlining and improving the procedure under which they operate,"_ he said. 'At the same time, if the Licensing Authorities could be persuaded to resort to the more severe penalties where repeated infringements take place, and to suspend or revoke licences, the position would be helped."

Mr. G. R. H. Nugent, Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport, replied that there was no evidence of widespread breaches of the law and intimidation of employees. The number of prosecutions was smaller than before the war. The size of fines was entirely at the discretion of the courts. There was a tendency for motoring fines generally to rise, although they sometimes appeared to be lenient. It was not fair to give the impression that the road haulage industry generally was guilty of faking records.

Last year• there were 55,000 accidents to goods vehicles out of a total of 1.25m., but only 65 of them were attributed to excessive fatigue on the part of drivers.

It was untrue to say that the situation concerning drivers' hours and records and the enforcement of the law had deteriorated since 1953: The Ministry intended to make enforcement effective and to strengthen still further the staff of examiners.

[Editorial comment, page 299.]


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