1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140 
Massive protest on foreign quotas
Page 32
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• The Road Haulage Association and the Freight Transport Association are deeply concerned at the effects of the recently concluded bilateral transport agreements between the UK and the French and Italian governments and have asked for intervention at a high level.
The RHA said this week that the quotas of permitted journeys imposed would considerably reduce the number of trips being made at present. It has asked the Ministry of Transport—which is equally opposed to restrictions—to seek further discussions with representatives of the French and Italian Governments with a view to obtaining more realistic quotas which will allow British vehicles to continue to operate.
Support is being sought by the RHA from the Board of Trade, the Confederation of British Industry, the Association of British Chambers of Commerce and the EDC for the movements of exports. Approaches have also been made to the Economic Commission for Europe and the International Road Transport Union (I RU) to enlist support in pursuading the French and Italian Governments to be more liberal.
The FTA, too, has asked the IRU to exert its influence because it feels that the action of the French and Italian Governments is contrary to the acknowledged principles of "free" international transport.
Both associations say that limiting the volume of road transport will hamper export movements and harm trade.
The restrictions causing concern are the journey quotas contained in bilateral transport agreements; these quotas, says the FTA, which are due to come into effect later this year, were imposed despite strong pressure by the British Government.
The French agreement allows 6,000 journeys a year by British goods vehicles, including unaccompanied semi-trailers, plus a further 2,000 journeys using the Kangaroo rail system. The FTA feels that this quota is particularly restrictive because France is a "transit" country.
The Italian quota of 2,400 journeys a year is slated by the FTA as totally inadequate because this year's experience shows that in 1970 there will be at least 4,500 journeys requiring permits under the quota.
Unlike other agreements, the Italian and French bilaterals cover own-account operators as well as professional hauliers.