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Recovering Traffic Lost to C-licensees
Page 57
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By J. Henson THERE is no point in disguising the fact that hauliers in agricultural districts were badly hit by the Transport Act, 1947. Nationalization and the restrictions that it brought with it went a long way towards destroying the harmonious balance that •had been established over the course of years between professional hauliers and farmers carrying their own produce.
The organization created by the Road Haulage Executive proved inadequate to deal with the complexities of agricultural transport. The personal service expected of the rural haulier calls for almost as expert a knowledge as the farmer himself of the skills and hazards involved in bringing crops to the finest possible condition for the market and in ensuring that their appearance and quality are retained all the way to the ultimate consumer.
Deficiencies in Transport
Nobody can deny that this ciandard of service has been reached by the haulier under free enterprise. When it deteriorated as a result of nationalization, the farmers found themselves in a difficult position and with serious deficiencies in the transport facilities available to them.
The opportunity of filling the vacuum thus created was denied to hauliers remaining under free enterprise, largely because of the 25-mile limit.' The farmer who no longer felt that he could rely on nationalized transport had no alternative but to put his own vehicles on the road under a C licence.
Competition from Farmers
This tendency was particularly grave from the point of view of the rural haulier. The farmer with a C licence is able to carry goods for other local farmers and to make a charge. As the C-licence holder was in no way affected by the 1947 Act, he was not restricted to a radius of 25 miles even when carrying for other people.
Extensive use has undoubtedly been made of C-licensed vehicles in this way, with a resultant loss of traffic to free-enterprise hauliers within the 25-mile zone, as well as to nationalized transport. The anomaly was not sought by tilt farmers, hut it was natural that they should make wide use of it. Equally were given even wider privileges merely for the asking.
One urgent task for the future is to restore the old satisfactory balance and to ensure that there is a strong, efficient and adequate body of agricultural hauliers. The farmers themselves appreciate the need for this.
Closer liaison than ever before has been established between the Road Haulage Association and the National Farmers' Union. The basis of this liaison is that the welfare of each side is vital to the other.
Profound changes are from time to time proposed in the system of marketing certain agricultural products. Transport is a vital factor in all such changes and it is to be hoped that the views of hauliers will be sought at all stages in the discussions.
Whatever the problem, a flexible road kaulage industry under free enterprise will be able to find the answer. The encouragement and support we have received from the farming community during the difficulties of the past few years are much appreciated. It stimulates the feeling of confidence with which we face the future.