Mrs. C. spurs enforcement of Geneva drivers' hours pact
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MRS. Barbara Castle, Minister of Transport, has taken a further step towards United Kingdom ratification of the European Agreement concerning the Work of Crews of Vehicles engaged in International Road Transport (AETR).
This agreement, concluded at Geneva in 1962, sets out international standards for drivers' hours and rest periods, and for the records to be kept to secure their enforcement. But it has not yet come into force because enough contigu ous countries have not yet ratified it.
In a letter from the Ministry, interested organizations are asked for their views on proposals for the legislation that would be necessary in this country to apply the AETR provisions to British or foreign coaches and lorries on international journeys.
Most of the provisions are already covered by UK law—it was agreed in 1962 that for vehicles while they are in this country, our existing statutory requirements for drivers' hours and rest periods would be acceptable—but it will be necessary to provide for the special recordkeeping required.
Because of the great concern in many countries about recent accidents to coaches on international holiday tours (no British coaches have been involved but British tourists have been among the sufferers) the Minister has been urging her European colleagues to hasten collective action to bring AETR into force.
The aim, of course, is an enforceable standard throughout the long continuous road journeys running through several countries on the Continent.
She has had a most encouraging response.
This proposal is quite separate from, and without prejudice to, the comprehensive review of domestic legislation on the subject of drivers' hours of work, announced in October last year.
Vehicle Census: There were 385,000 general goods vehicles of over 3 tons unladen weight in use in Great Britain by the third quarter of 1966. compared with 369,000 in 1965. But the p.s.v. total has dropped by about 4,000, the MoT annual census reveals.