Piggyback permits disappoint hauliers
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PLANS to give hauliers using the German Railways piggyback services preference in the allocation of haulage permits have been met with resignation.
Both the Freigh Transport Association and the Road Haulage Association told CM this week that they had agreed to the allocation plan (CM December 17) "reluctantly."
However, a spokesman for Kombiverkehr — operators of the piggyback service — said he. was "delighted" with the arrangements. "Of course it is in our favour, but we believe that it is something to help both us and hauliers."
RHA opinion was one of resignation to the new arrangements. "The Government got the best deal it could over permits," said a spokesman. "It's been on the cards for some time that this would happen, but it's not a very happy situation."
An FTA spokesman described the new arrangements as "disappointing." He said they were "concerned about the lack of permits to transit countries in Europe."
He said the Association would continue its campaign with European haulage associations to force governments to adopt more liberal policies towards haulage.
The new arrangements for allocation announced by the Department of Transport mean that hauliers will not get permits unless they are also travelling by the train services.
Those using the Cologne to Ljubljana service will get a Yugoslav permit for every journey and they will also get permits for two journeys by road, for every two trips made using the train. road-rail trips.
Operators using the Cologne to Munich service will be able to get permits to continue through Czechoslovakia and Hungary on the first journey and through Austria and Yugoslavia on the next trips.
Trips which end in Austria, Hungary or Yugoslavia will be allowed permits — but only if the operator has a West German general quota allocation. These permits will also be available for the road/rail journey.
1-1:auHers with West German quota allowances will get their Austrian ,Hungarian and Yugoslav permits in the same quantities as this year.
The piggyback service is run twice a week with a service from Cologne to Munich and then to Ljubljana and a direct service from Cologne to Ljubljana.
A train leaves Cologne on Monday or Tuesday at 7.45pm arriving in Munich at 6.00am the next day and leaving again at 11.50am to arrive at Ljubljana at 12.30am on Thursday.
Weekend services are run direct from Cologne to Ljubljana leaving at 6.19pm on Saturday to arrive in Yi slavia at 2.38pm on Sunda} Return journeys leave Lj jana at 5.34pm on Sunda2 arrive back in Germany at on Monday.
Cost of the return journe now running at £737 (at exchange rate of 4.15 DM the pound) and this figure been described by the FTA "a heavy burden imposed other governments on hauli which we regard as unfair.'' In addition to the cost of 1 journey, hauliers are also h; ing to foot the bill for cony sion of their trailers whi must have corner heights 3.6 metres and centre heigl of 3.8 metres.
German Federal Railwa: British agents for the pigg back trains, told CM: "This just the kind of permits poli that we have suggested to tj Department of Transport f some time."