Stations for sale?'
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ELEAVY GOODS VEHICLE testing staions could be sold to the private sector inder Transport Minister Norman Fowler's plans to trim the Department A Transport's staff by 17.7 per cent.
The Government announced last week that it plans to shed 2484 DTp jobs 3371983, 111 going in 1980-1,37 in 1981-2, and 2336 in 1982-3. The Department says that these will save £13.1m at 1979 Drices, but it cannot say exactly which jobs will go.
The network of heavy goods vehicle testing stations could feel the heaviest force of Mr Fowler's axe, as he wants DTp to investigate whether they can be ;old to private businesses under a programme of Government "function reductions".
It has already rejected the possibility af private garages taking over the work, as they would need such special equipment as rolling roads; but the option exists to sell stations to new tenants, or to road hauliers who could provide adequate test facilities. DTp told CM this week that the present network of stations is costed to break even annually, and makes neither a profit nor loss. Savings may arise if staff agreed to transfer to the new owners, but, otherwise, the Government could be faced with heavy redundancy payments.
DTp discounted any suggestion that it might sell off the less economic stations. It says that they are placed according to demand, and their use varies very little from area to area.
Commenting on the proposals, both the Road Haulage Association and the Freight Transport Association said that they had yet to hear full details. Provided that the level of service to operators is maintained, they would not object to privately owned testing stations.
Opposition Civil Service spokesman Ian Wrigglesworth described the plan as "a shiny apple with a rotten core", and said that it would not lead to any savings being made in public expenditure.