Cool on permits
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T refer to the article titled 1Cool on Cabotage (CM 2-8 December 1993). Jam absolutely amazed that your report indicates that the takeup of permits has been lethargic to say the least. If this really is the case then perhaps someone can explain to me why it is that contractors applying to the IRFO for permits are receiving automatic rejections and requests for qualification of their need.
In simple terms, the IRFO insists that a haulier must show a need before a permit will be issued. But the haulier cannot apply for business or create the need until he has the permit.
This Catch 22 situation possibly accounts for the low take-up figure.
There is no doubt that international organisations such as our own have a continuous need to participate in cabotage movements and there is equally no doubt that the IRFO is making this operation extremely difficult.
In fairness, once we produce evidence that we have customers who have a requirement we generally receive permits but there is absolutely no guarantee that the IRFO will renew permits automatically.
Indeed, our experience shows that where a permit has not been used for a period of one month the IRFO automatically refuses renewal. Surely this is rather hard when we consider that cabotage is an addition to our normal international operations to be used as required by customers and where this demand does not exist in the short term it is perfectly feasible that a vehicle can run for a period of one month without a cabotage load.
This increased bureaucracy and delay is probably another contributing factor to the low take-up figure.
May I suggest that the issuing of cabotage permits for periods in excess of one month, or at least confirmation that renewals will be automatic, would improve the situation and may give more hauliers the opportunity to carry out more cabotage.
Antony Stanley Managing director, Westermann, Basildon, Essex.
As last year's winner of ..your parcels survey, Apex was naturally disappointed not to be included in this year's competition.
However, I notice that two of the companies included are in fact customers of Apex's agents and therefore Apex was the only parcels system this year to deliver not one, but two consignments both on time.
I would like to point out that Apex would have offered a much more competitive price than a customer of one of its depots, which incurs two lots of overheads And the service time offered by a main agent would naturally be better than that of a third party Please note that this in no way denigrates the excellent service offered by Apex's customers in the trade. Peter Hayward Operations manager, Apex, Cradley Heath, West Midlands.