Selling Those Vehicles,
Page 28
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IF the new Transport Bill follows the lines laid -down in the White Paper as far as the disposal of the vehicles now operated by the Road Haulage Executive is concerned, there will be some interesting problems to solve.
It appears that the general idea is to dispose of these assets after splitting them into comparatively small units. Exactly what is meant by this is not yet certain, but the object is to encourage buying by individuals or concerns with a comparatively small capital. There have even been suggestions of instituting something in the nature of Government-sponsored hire-purchase or direct loans, but the latter would not, in our view, he satisfactory or likely to be approved, for it is hardly for the Government to invest in this way.
On the other hand, it is important in the view of many small and medium-sized haulage concerns that any scheme of the Government to obtain a wide distribution of the units should not be circumvented by powerful financial interests. These might, through agents, purchase a large number of small units and compound them into 'large fleets, which, with the advantages of A licences and no mileage restriction, might Well become serious competitors of existing freeenterprise operators.
No doubt, the Road Haulage Associationand other bodies who wish eventually to obtain for their members 2 fair share of the plums in the pie. will ventilate their views freely during the various stages befor-... the passing of the Bill. It will be a difficult matter to please many and almost impossible to please all, but with a reasonable amount of give and take on both sides, some satisfactory basis should be established.