Beirut delay
Page 7
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
THE driver of a British vehicle owned by Condor Haulage of Barry, South Wales, is reported to have been delayed at Beirut Docks for 25 days because he had no permission to cross Lebanon on the way to Saudi Arabia. His company told CM this week that it was unaware of the reasons for the delay because the driver had been unable to get in contact. But on Tuesday Mr Michael Cave, managing director of European Plant Haulage of Bedford, who had returned from Beirut the previous day, said that the Lebanese were intent upon using Arab traction. He thought this was principally for security reasons.
Mr Cave had met Condor's driver, who told him that he had been held in the Beirut dock area for 25 days and, as the goods were consigned from GEC in Britain to Saudi Arabia, the Saudi embassy in the Lebanon had been trying unsuccessfully—to get the consignment cleared.
Mr Cave, who visits Beirut once a month, said that he had tried in vain to intervene through his Lebanese contacts. " But," he said, "the authorities advised me that they were going to 'teach this one a lesson '." Mr Cave suggests that British operators who intend using the MarseillesBeirut ferry should first of all ensure that their accompanied traffic will be acceptable in Beirut.
The UK agents for the Marseilles-Beirut ferry, Sutch and Searle Shipping Ltd of Buckhurst Hill, Essex, said this week that their agent in Beirut had said that traffic was being accepted but that they would be looking into the matter further. Mr Tony Nash, sales manager of Sutch and Searle, hopes to have more details of the Lebanese position by today (Friday).