Closer Check on Drivers' Hours
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From Our Parliamentary Conespondent THE Minister of Transport is to conI stilt the transport unions about ways of ensuring .that lorry drivers do not work excessive hours. In the Commons last week Mr. IVIarples was told by Mrs. Harriet Slater (Stoke, North) that some employers brought very heavy pressure to bear on lorry drivers to work excessive hours.
Mr. R. J, Mellish (Bermondsey) said the unions thought there were not enough Ministry inspectors to follow up offences, but Mr. Marples said the penalties and the powers to prevent drivers working excessive hours were adequate. Last year there were 3,500 convictions for offences relating to hours, and 8,200 for offences relating to records. Therefore; added the Minister, he thought the enforcernents must be reasonably adequate.
THE total tax contribution from motor
vehicles is expected to be £645m. this year. Stating this in the Commons last week, Mr. Anthony Barber, Economic Secretary to the Treasury, said the figure included petrol and oil duty, Purchase Tax, motor vehicles' tax and driving licences. Total expenditure on roads will be £202m., he added.
nPERATORS who start running miniN---1 cabs in London without obtaining the necessary licences were warned last week that they will be risking prosecution. The warning came from Mr. R. A. Butler, the Home Secretary, after Mr. Rupert Speir (Tory, Hexham) had drawn his attention to a proposal to operate in the Metropolitan Police area mini-cabs, without a licence from the Commissioner cif Police, by drivers similarly not licensed.
M.P.T.A. Statement Challenged REFERENCE to the recent Municipal Passenger Transport Association statement regarding loading bans was made by Mr. D. 0. Good, a national vice-chairman of the R.H.A., at the Annual dinner of the mid-Cornwall subarea last Friday.
"It has surprised said Mr. Good, that an organization representing muniHpal transport has proposed that cars should not be allowed to wait in main Lhoroughfares, at any rate-during the day, and that loading and unloading of goods vehicles should he banned during the aeak periods.
"This may make things easier for the ocal buses and may even bring them nore traffic. On the other hand it may lot, because if the road is kept clear for uses it will be just as clear for private :ars who may, therefore, be tempted to :ome out in increasing numbers.
"if it ever did become a question of yriorities, however, we should have to nsist that without goods traffic a cornnunity would not be able to survive."