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THIS week's news of evidence to the Geddes Committee (see next I page) by the Traders Road Transport Association and the National Farmers Union follows last week's statement by the Road Haulage Association. In total, the three documents form an interesting reflection of current thinking by operators and users, although everyone is being very polite about everyone else. There is, for instance, a section of C-licence thinking which favours a licensing free-for-all; conversely, there is a section of haulage thinking which would like to see restriction of the grants of C licences. No doubt such unofficial views of each other's problems will eventually find their way before the Committee from independent sources, if they have not already done so.
What has come out publicly, so far, is the old dispute about misuse of farmers' C-licensed vehicles. Last week the R.H.A. flatly stated that the permission of carriage for hire. or reward on such vehicles for neighbouring farmers should be discontinued. There was, said the Association. "widespread abuse of the privilege ". Certainly the condition under which such carriage is allowed is far too vague. The N.F.U., which has always denied that illegalities under this heading were substantial, seeks continuation of the law on the question.
Another public conflict of views, on C-hiring allowances, has come from the T.R.T.A. and the R.H.A. The former wants the position to continue unchanged; the hauliers said last week that C-hiring activities should be subject to control through registration and records of use.
It is good to see such clashes of opinion. Without strongly stated sectional views the Geddes Committee cannot properly conduct its business.