HARD TIMES AHEAD FOR HAULIERS—MR. HANLON A ROUGH, hard road
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for all engaged r-k in the haulage industry in the next year or two was foreseen by Mr. J. A. T. Hanlon, the Northern Licensing Authority, at the annual dinner of the West Cumberland sub-area of the Road Haulage Association at Keswick last Friday.
He reminded a company of 200, that among startling things that had been happening this year was the Geddes Report advocating abolition of the licensing system and opening the door to any enthusiastic amateur. •
" l'hen the Geddes Report kind of died before it was born ", he said. "But I ask all to take a very careful look at the situation, with a resuscitation possibly of that Report and a free-for-all, which would be a matter of serious concern also for the public."
Referring to growing uneasiness about maintenance, Mr. Hanlon confessed he simply did not know the answer. "Overcrowding conditions are getting worse, and it seems there must be either a clamp down on the making of vehicles or acceleration in constructing better roads.
In spite of the efforts of the RHA. traders, transport and safety organizations to improve maintenance. of 8.655 vehicles examined in the past year 3,291 prohibitions were issued and 854 immediate ones. What can be done? If you put more and more off the roads will it help? "
An ominous fact was that there were 70.000 to 80,000 vehicles in this traffic area, said Mr. Hanlon. and we were examining only 8,600 of them. only 10 per cent. And 10 per cent of that 10 per cent were taken away. "It is a most serious public problem. and a particularly worrying aspect is that when a manufacturer produces a good vehicle, put off the road because something is wrong, the haulier is made responsible, and also liable for drivers' lapses."
Carriage of Dangerous Goods THE Home Office's Standard Advisory
Committee on Dangerous Substances has decided to constitute a special technical sub-committee to review regulations governing the operation of road vehicles carrying such substances. In particular, it is intended that the subcommittee should study the relative clauses of the European Agreement on the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR) and the extent to which domestic legislation may be necessary to secure harmonization with ADR.
The TRTA and RHA have been invited to nominate representatives to serve on the sub-committee, which will be holding its first meeting next month. Other technical sub-committees are to be formed to make similar studies in connection with the construction of vehicles carrying dangerous goods, and the packaging, loading and labelling of dangerous substances.