'Defer tachos and hours cuts'
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Minister's appeal to EEC
DR JOHN GILBERT, the Minister for Transport, is to make representations to the EEC Commissioners in Brussels •to defer the introduction of tachographs and EEC hours regulations due to be implemented on January 1, 1976.
In a written reply to a question from Mr Leslie Huckfield, MP for Nuneaton, Dr Gilbert said : "I am well aware of the difficulties following approaches from both sides of the industry. I am informing the Commission and our EEC partners that we shall seek a deferment of the application of the regulations on drivers' hours in the UK.
"On the fitment of tachographs the legal position is different, but on these too I am making representations to the Commission in order to find means of overcoming the difficulties which we face."
It is understood that the Minister will be holding a joint meeting with trade unions and trade associations early this month, probably next Friday, August 8.
The Minister has already hinted that he may be prepared to accept a 38-tonne limit in return for the deferment of tachographs.
It is Regulation 543/69 which among other things makes the fitting of EEC type tachographs compulsory and cuts drivers hours from ten to eight hours a day. It has been in force in the original EEC member states since 1971 and took effect for UK international traffic on April 1, 1973.
The FTA have estimated that the initial capital cost of fitting tachographs would be £100m with substantial additional subsequent costs.
Italy successfully sought a deferment from January 1 until July 1 this year on the basis that they had faced fitting difficulties.