Smalls Reception Depot to Stay Open
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BECAUSE the smalls reception depot at No. 7 Shed, Royal Victoria Dock, has since last October handled an average monthly tonnage 60 per cent higher than was received previously, the Port of London Authority has decided to keep the depot open until further notice.
In April last year the P.L.A. announced its intention to close the depot in October (because it had lost some 1100,000 in the 10 years that the facility had been available) but agreed to a six months' postponement of the closure to see whether wider publicity would increase the depot's traffic.
The P.L.A. states that about 82 per cent of the additional traffic since October seems to have been generated by the raising of upper weight limits for individual packages and consignments to 5 cwt. and 40 cwt. respectively; the balance of 18 per cent is attributed to the renewed publicity given to the depot.
Despite the increased traffic and a revision of charges which, since October, have been on a tonnage rate, the P.L.A. says it is still losing money in operating the depot and from April 1 charges are to be raised. Any vehicle load handled via the depot will be charged at £1 per ton (minimum charge 7s. 6d.) plus a surcharge of 2s. 6d. per vessel, excluding the first. These charges are in addition to the normal wharfage and porterage but the P.L.A. states that, even so, the rates remain considerably below those of similar private depots.
To End Double Taxation in E.E.C.
riE E.E.C. Commission has approved a draft regulation for the abolition of double taxation on goods and passenger road vehicles within the Community. It has suggested that every vehicle which has paid road tax in its country of registration should be able to travel freely between all the other member states without having to pay further road tax. This does not affect the normal liability for customs duties and other taxation.
The Commission has proposed that the new regulation should come into force on January 1 next year and that each member state should, before then, adopt the necessary legislation to give effect to it, The next stage will be for the Commission to make a proposal for the co-ordination of taxation systems within the Community so that road vehicles pay .tax at the same rate, whatever their country of origin.