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jUatiee
Your editorial comments (CM February 3) on the views expressed by the Freight Transport Association exhibit an amount of "rough justice" indeed, considering the contribution the FTA has made in recent years to the total world of transport and the ever-changing requirements of operation and legislation.
To claim that quality as opposed to quantity licensing has brought about the regrettable situation in the Aberdeen depot of Christian Salvesen, or, indeed, any other operator who has been forced to terminate operations is surely a very jaundiced view.
The economic recession has produced bankruptcies in many facets of British industry, and has certainly produced very keen competition in all pricing structures.
Transport operations have had to bear more than their fair share of restrictive legislation and in no way can the re-introduction of the old form of licensing be countenanced. The setting up of a greengrocery, butcher, garage, architect, estate agent or chemist business is a calculated risk; should these areas also be covered by protectionist legislation?
At present there appears to be a minority of fairly well positioned people in the road haulage industry who believe they have the God-given right to move goods by road and would seek powers to assist them to featherbed their operations. I hope they do not succeed and trust the committee at present examining 0-licensing take full cognizance of FTA's submissions.
J. A. RUSSELL Transport manager, Jeyes UK Ltd, Thetford.