Ken Peter: making sure justice is done
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HE FIRST man I met as I went ito Eastern Area Licensing .uthority Ken Peter's office was oad Haulage Association area ecretary Ken Williams. Both are ased in Cambridge, and their .4gular meetings underline a ond with all sectors of the inustry which Mr Peter, who has een Eastern LA for four years, onsiders essential for the -nooth supervision of the road ansport industry in the region. Ken Peter draws on all the exerience of his career in military rid civilian life for his role as uasi-judicial president of East nglia's lorries and buses.
He joined the army during the econd World War, and stayed ntil 1964. It taught him that the 'les of natural justice — the ght to be heard, and the right to e tried without bias — which poly in a court matrial, apply ,ith equal measure in any court
f law.
His next 13 years were spent the Ministry (later Departlent) of Transport, and while at le DTp, Ken Peter took an Open niversity degree in economics, !chnology, and social sciences, though he is inclined to play own the last of those compo, ants lest anyone considers him refugee from the trendy Sixes. The course, which included udy of urban development and
■ wn planning, again proved 3eful to him in his role as LA nd Traffic Commissioners' It is in the latter role, presiding ver the bus and coach industry, 'at Mr Peter and his team of 80 ffice staff and 20 traffic examin-s, assisted by 30 vehicle exaliners, are being kept busiest at le moment.
In the Eastern area, each aerator is being looked at as its rst psv licence expires, and pril alone saw 130 cases come Icier Mr Peter's view.
So far, Mr Peter says he is easantly surprised by the ease ith which the change has gone irough.
By late-April, none had been !fused an 0-licence, though Jblic sittings had been winged at which less clear-cut rses were to be considered. antral to the new Act is the reJirement to specify an operat g centre, which is defined as the place where buses and coaches normally are kept, and unless that centre is specified to the Traffic Commissioners' satisfaction, no 0-licence will be issued.
But Mr Peter stressed that there is no question of any operator being refused an 0licence without a public sitting.
Given the sparse population of the Eastern Area — few of its three million inhabitants live in communities of even 150,000, its largest cities' populations — he believes that quality, rather than quantity licensing is more appropriate to the area's needs.
He says it is difficult to judge how the coach market will develop at the moment. The optimistic surge of activity displayed from October 6 last year was to be expected, but this, together with the recession, and the fact that it all occurred off-season tend to cloud the true performance, and it could be some time before a more consistent pattern emerges.
Turning to the 10,000 goods vehicle operators, I wondered why Eastern Area tends to return more disciplinary cases than others. A good enforcement team, was Ken Peter's answer. Tactically sited weighbridges on the Al, A11, A45, and at Felixstowe docks, operated in cooperation with the police and county councils' trading standards officers, have helped keep track of offenders.
Overloading, he says, is exacerbated by operators not knowing the gross weight or weight distribution of containers they carry, and he is glad to note that at least one operator has told a shipper he won't carry any more containers until this problem is overcome.
Although the Haven Ports bring in a large number of foreign vehicles, Mr Peter doesn't see them as a great problem. He believes they have learned the hard way about the realities of British justice, and says that one or two operators who persistently flouted the rules have changed their approach following their appearances before magistrates.
It also is easier to keep control of operators when an efficient recording system is in operation, and Mr Peter's staff keeps a running record of all convictions and prohibitions against each operator.
There is little likelihood of the recession diminishing the Traffic Area's workload.
Many vehicles are being laid up and stored due to lack of work and a depressed secondhand market, and Mr Peter is disturbed by a decline in the sales of spare parts. While that could simply be due to the drop in the number of lorries on the road, he fears it might also be a symptom of a cutback in vehicle maintenance, although that will take some time to show up.
He also is aware of a growth in the number of small operators seeking 0-licences. Many are redundant drivers who are using redundancy pay to invest in comparatively cheap vehicles, in the hope that their low overheads will guarantee them a slot in the market, especially sub-contracting to container operators.
All get themselves Certificates of Professional Competence,
and many give considerat thought to their applications I licences, all of which have to heard at public inquiries. In SE eral cases recently, cash-ft( forecasts prepared by own drivers in co-operation with th■ bank managers have fallen line with the information whi Mr Peter considers necessary.
Indeed, contrary to myttlogy, the owner-driver is prc ably the least of an LA's worrie
Ken Peter says they tend to very careful and appreciate t risks to their business if eith they or their vehicle should f to meet the requirements of t law. It is when they graduate two to four-vehicle operatior and the founder still drives, tr the businesses sometimes le competent management, a several recent revocations Eastern Area 0-licences ha affected companies in this ca gory.
Mr Peter shares his fellow Li agony over decisions affecti medical fitness, and says tr the 100 or so cases which cor before him e*h year seldom clear cut. It always is a har decision to say "no" to a dri\ who has been employed ' many years, but public safety paramount.
In all cases, Mr Peter sees t driver privately, with whoeN he chooses to bring along, a he often says that his final de sion is based on whether t driver is behind a wheel cc stantly or just occasionally, su as in the sugar beet season.
Healthy drivers occupy Peter's time. He believes it i portant to keep in touch with aspects of the business, and i: regular visitor to the CM Lo Driver of the Year final at Cri field where, apart from anythi else, he has an opportunity drive the vehicles.
He also meets drivers wh looking at roadside checks operation, and points out that has yet to meet a driver w anything to say against 1 tachograph.
With such an all-round gra of the realities of the busine Eastern Area operators and dr ers of buses and lorries can n assured that Ken Peter will with care and fairness in preaching their interests.