Making the Most of the Fuel Ration
Page 28
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I WOULD like to express my appreciation of your
leading article entitled "Long-distance Road Transport Vital in your issue dated September 22. It undoubtedly conveys what should be the national outlook in that connection.
I would also like to express my appreciation of the article by S.T.R. I am sure that the trade, through its national organizations Standing Joint Committee and the Road Transport Panel of the Road-Rail Central Conference, will find the statements contained therein of great value in putting the goods road transport case as a whole to the Ministry of Transport.
I would, however, like to add that I am not quite in agreement with his contention that only 3,899 vehicles have to be considered in relation to trunk services. In these later years the development of the 2i-ton-unladenweight class with an approximate 6-ton pay-load, and the 5-ton-unladen-weight class with a 9-ton pay-load, has resulted in a considerable number of these types of vehicle being used for trunk services over long distances.
Even so; however, S.T.R.'s main contention holds good, to the effect that the proportion of fuel utilized on long-distance services is a minute proportion of the total ameunt consumed by goods road transport operations as a whole. I am of the opinion that if the Ministry of Transl port's suggestion in connection with the pooling cid traffic with a view to utilizing road vehicles to capacity and the avoidance of empty mileage, be carried out— and it can be effected if all classes of transport won together—and; secondly, if supplementary supplies o fuel be directed to the proper quarters, then 75 per cent of pre-war fuel consumption will be sufficient to operat all forms of goods road transport as completely as wa: the case before the war.
The clearing houses and the large freight-operatim concerns can do much to keep the small operator an the " quondam " C licensee in " pooling " loads an avoiding " light " miles; accordingly, every encourage ment should be given them to do so.
In conclusion, I cannot overstress my view that, a this stage, at any rate, of the "'war emergency," ther is no need to place any restriction on long-distance any other form of goods road transport. The need i to increase its operation efficiency on the Ministry' lines, as above described.
If and when our trade fails to respond, then, and onl then, will be the time to talk "restriction."
C. BARRINGTON, M.LMech.E., M.I.A.E., M.Inst.T.
(Managing Director, Transport Services, Ltd.) London, E.C.3.