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Traders Cutting Out Hauliers

13th March 1953, Page 39
13th March 1953
Page 39
Page 39, 13th March 1953 — Traders Cutting Out Hauliers
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

I AM obliged to Major E. H. B. Palmer for his com

ments, published on February 27, upon an earlier letter of mine. I had hoped that my position was clear, even if not accepted by him. It is that there is no halfway house between complete freedom in transport and complete monopoly, and that licensing is the negation of freedom.

Moreover, I think licensing grossly unfair, for it means that those who depend upon transport for their living are steadily losing their business by reason of the fact that traders, in their determination to have freedom • from closed-shop licensing, resort increasingly to their own vehicles. The figures of licences in the respective groups prove the trend irrefutably.

My policy, prior to the 1933 Act, was to use the railways, coastwise shipping, and public carriers, in replacement of trader-owned vehicles. As soon as the Act was passed, that policy was changed and re-directed to building-up the strength of trader-owned fleets, with the consequences that are, I think, common knowledge.

Northwood, Middx. FREDERICK SMITH, M. Inst.T.

WITH regard to the letters of Frederick Smith and

E H. B. Palmer, in your issues dated February 6 and February 27, on the subject of the abolition of goods-vehicle licensing. From the point of view of an efficient road haulage industry, considered apart from the overall question of road-rail competition, I agree entirely with Mr. Smith that a guaranteed long-run charter would give the industry the stable background which is lacking at the moment. Like him, also, and against Mr. Palmer, I say that this must be accompanied by the abolition of quantitative licensing restrictions.

Mr. Palmer is, in fact, advocating the permanent retention of the restriction of competition in the industry for the benefit-of the operators, whereas the industry exists for the benefit of the customers. It follows from this latter fact, that if any operator, existing or potential, can manage to provide a service at a lower cost to the customer than can any other operator, then it is in the interests of the public that he he allowed to do so.

Nor do Mr. Palmer's objections to the abolition of licensing carry any groat weight. At the time to which his examples were relevant, conditions generally were deplorable; but (i) operators would not have stayed in the industry if they had not felt themselves to be as well off there, in an overall sense, as anywhere else, and (ii) at the present day trade is no longer depressed nor unemployment rife; nor is there any reason why the latter, at any rate, should become a serious menace in the future, as ways of doing away with it are now better understood in Government circles; hence an operator who feels that he is not doing well enough will be able to find alternative suitable openings.

Willsbridge Hill, nr. Bristol. ROBIN WARD.

Headlights or Heliographs ?

I AM grateful to the readers who have thoughtfully I explained the light code used by trunk drivers. It occurs to me, however, that the cause of road safety might be better served if drivers used their lights for

the purpose for which they are intended, instead of as heliographs.

It is reassuring to be told that a headlight flashed in daylight means, "If you don't get out of the way, I'll ram you head-on." It so happens that I had already learnt this on a narrow stretch of A5, from a van driver who insisted on overtaking a close column of traffic when he had no hope of drawing in to give way to oncoming vehicles. I took to the grass verge and am happily still alive to sign myself St. Albans. TRUNKER DEBUNKER.

MANY thanks to P. C. Mackessack for giving details IT•i of the night trunkers' code. Though a car driver myself I have memorized this code, for use both when overtaking heavy. vehicles and when being overtaken.

It is indeed a pleasure to drive amongst heavy vehicles because one knows that the drivers are really alert and helpful; for this reason particularly I do all I can to assist them on their way.

Southampton. D. J. FORREST.

Private Enterprise or Nothing

TRIED the week before last to book a seat for the Easter week-end on the Northern Roadways coach service from London to Scotland and back. The travel agent told me that the service was already fully booked, but he offered to sell me instead a seat on the nationalized coach, railway, or aeroplane services, all of which I refused.

If the private-enterprise service is full six weeks before the date of operation, surely that is adequate proof of the need for additional duplication, and our so-called Conservative Government ought, through the licensing Authorities, to allow the coach company to carry the traffic which we all know they are anxious to do. If the Government continue to force people on to the nationalized services or to make them stay at home, they are behaving as if they were Socialists.

London, W.5. J. C. GILLHAM.

Advertising to Offset Bus Concessions

REPLYING to J. W. Jordan's letter concerning advertising on buses, published in your issue of February 13, it is quite obvious that Birmingham City Transport has ignored lucrative revenue for many years, possibly because of upsetting the very smart livery of the vehicles. Referring to the proposed free travel for the aged by that undertaking, it is quite obvious that the advertising rentals expected are to offset any deficit incurred by this concession.

I would add that, in my opinion, it is plain stupidity for any operator to give anything away these days, particularly such things as can probably never be rescinded, owing to possible objective political pressure.

Worthing. C. A. BAYMAN.


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