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Quantity licensing
A pledge to return to a system of quantity licensing for road haulage the next time Labour is in office was given by Mr T. Bradley, on behalf of the Party's national executive committee, when he replied to a transport debate at the Labour Party Conference last month. Mr Bradley is Labour's joint transport spokesman in the House of Commons.
The conference carried motions demanding that public transport should be treated as a public service under a democratic form of public ownership; that an early priority for a Socialist Government should be a new Transport Act; and that a national transport plan should be prepared before the next annual conference to show how private transport could be reduced in cities and replaced by subsidized public transort.
At the Conservative annual conference last month, there was strong support for switching freight traffic from road to rail, and heavy criticism of the effect of lorries on the environment. The Under Secretary for the DoE, Mr Eldon Griffiths, told delegates that the Government's aim was to make lorries quieter and cleaner; he said he would transmit to the Minister for Transport Industries the points made by delegates.
RHA conference
Experiments are being made with a cassette tape recorder linked to a tachograph so that, when processed by a small computer, detailed operational information can be printed out for management use. This was revealed by Mr Alan Jebb, a London University lecturer, when he presented a paper at the Road Haulage Association annual conference last month. Since tachographs would become obligatory under EEC regulations, he argued, they should be used to provide management information as well as that required by law.
There was considerable opposition from conference delegates to the fitting of tachographs, on the score of both cost and the risk of upsetting good labour relations.
RHA national chairman Mr John Wells told the conference that the association was insisting that the ports outside the National Dock Labour Scheme should be left to operate free from the scheme's restrictions.
In the Express Carrier's "mini conference", preceding the main event, the secretary of the Dutch road haulage association (KNVTO) described forked tariffs as an invention of the devil, and hoped British hauliers would join Dutch operators in opposing them. The Germans were the major exponents, he said.
Mr I. Larsen the business director of Garonor, the freight transfer terminal near Paris (CM January 28), said his company's consolidated delivery service had not been successful. Garonor was not using the 100 light vehicles intended for c. and d. because local hauliers preferred to use 170 of their own vehicles, even though this meant uneconomic running. But when, shortly, Paris reduced the size of permitted vehicles, Garonor would benefit.
Mr. John Murly, a former chairman of the RHA international group, was supported by Mr Jan Spigelaar from Holland when he maintained — in the face of a challenge by some delegates that the CMR Convention covered only the depot-to-depot part of international haulage but did not apply to international collection and delivery work. He was concerned that Britain's quota of Community permits had to be shared with own-account operators — unlike the situation in the other EEC countries.
Safe loading code
Introduced by the Minister for Transport Industries on October 25 was a new Code of Practice: Safety of Loads on Vehicles. It costs 30p net from HM Stationery Office. Also available are a free summary leaflet and a poster, obtainable from DoE Vehicle Engineering Division, Room SU2 /01, St Christopher House, Southwark Street, London S El .
The guide is an illustrated 80-page book containing much commonsense advice on the way to load and secure freight. Among general recommendations are that headboards must be able to withstand a force equal to half the payload capacity of the vehicle; that lashings should pass through or round the body and be secured to the frame: that special anchorage points of up to 2 tons capacity should be fitted to chassis; and that ropes should be used with caution because they can be seriously weakened by age, wear or incorrect use.
Although the Code . is only advisory at present, without the strength of the Highway Code, the police may use it as evidence in individual cases. The operator associations are recommending the Code as a handbook and the RTITB plans courses based on it.
Freeing freight
The EEC Commission's plan to reduce bilateral road haulage quotas between member states and increase the multilateral Community quotas has been condemned by the Union of European Community Industries (UN ICE), This body, which speaks for the industries of the Common Market, has told the Commission that it would have been wiser to abandon any fixing of quotas for goods transport by road, while being prepared to intervene in individual cases of disturbingly excessive transport capacity. In any case, UN ICE insists, there should be no cut in bilateral quotas, even if the Community quota is raised.
Buses change colour
Stage carriage buses in the National Bus Company fleets are having their liveries changed. New, lighter and brighter shades have been chosen for the main colours, with white relief bands. Bright poppy red and bright leaf green are two of the new base colours; blue fleets will remain unchanged for the time being. Primarily local coaches and dual-purpose vehicles will have new green /white, or green /red liveries.
Dominants go ahead
Production of the new Dominant coach was started on October 16, when workers at Duple Coachbuilders Blackpool factory resumed work after a two-month strike. Duple announced that the new coach had attracted record orders.
New Spinks licence
Spinks Interfreight Ltd of Darlington was granted a new operator's licence on October 16 for eight vehicles and 14 trailers by the East Midland LA.
The RHA had lodged an objection but in view of the Transport Tribunal's earlier decision to allow a limited grant of two years to the company in the Northern area it was felt that it could not object to any decision the LA might now make.
The licence was granted for the full term of five years.
Revised RHA rules
The RHA national executive council has dropped the word "executive", reverting to the original national council title. This was one of a number of changes effected at an extraordinary meeting of members called to consider revision and simplification of the memorandum and articles of association of the RHA. The revised constitution now permits the National Council to admit a candidate for membership for a probationary period, and it is now possible for a company with the required subscription to become a holding company, even though it does not operate through subsidiaries.
Chrysler revises network
Instead of a two-tier sales network comprising main dealers and retail dealers, Chrysler
United Kingdom announced last month that it is putting all its dealers on an equal footing. The Commer and Dodge franchise is to be combined into one Chrysler UK truck franchise. The franchise for selling Chrysler compact vans, currently held only by truck dealers, is to be extended to car dealers. The company expects to complete the changes by early 1976.
Tizer penalty cut
The Transport Tribunal on October 13 reduced a penalty imposed on Tizer Ltd by the West Midland LA. He had removed seven authorized vehicles and two trailers from the licence and suspended seven specified vehicles. Granting Tizer's appeal in part, the Tribunal reduced the suspension of specified vehicles to four for three months.
The LA's action had been taken after the imposition of one immediate and three delayed prohibitions on some of the 27 vehicles operated in the area. The company admitted at the Tribunal hearing that difficulty had been experienced at the depot in question but pointed out that only one other GV9 had been imposed on the total fleet of 308 vehicles and 18 trailers in the past year.
Appeal dismissed
An appeal by Witney Plant Hire and Haulage Co. Ltd against the refusal of the East Midland LA to renew its licence was dismissed last month by the Transport Tribunal.
The LA had refused the renewal application after hearing evidence of vehicle prohibitions. The appeal was on the grounds that the company had not been given notice that matters apart from maintenance arrangements would be considered at a public inquiry.
New Thames crossing
Traffic and engineering studies for a new crossing of the Thames have been given the go-ahead by the DoE. The possibility of linking the crossing with the M20 or M2 routes south of the river and hence, to a future Channel Tunnel will be examined. To the north, the studies will tie in with two projects already being investigated — the feasibility of a new road from M1 near Luton to M11 near Bishop's Stortford, and corridors for motorway access to the third London airport at Maplin.
Deputy LA criticized
The Eastern deputy LA was criticizea by the Transport Tribunal on October 12 when it allowed in part the appeals of Miller Bros (Romford) Ltd against the decision to curtail two vehicles from the three-vehicle licence for three months and to refuse an application to add three more vehicles.
The deputy LA, in referring to a submission that there had been no previous convictions, remarked that the firm might have been lucky and had not been caught. This, stated the Tribunal, seemed to be a most unfortunate remark. The penalty was varied by allowing
the appellants to specify which two vehicles should be removed. The application to add should be remitted to the Licensing Authority, said the Tribunal.
The £140 fine
After a prohibition order had been placed on an overloaded articulated vehicle entering the UK through Newhaven, the Spanish driver proceeded without unloading the excess. The driver, Mr Angel Calderon, was fined £140 and ordered to pay £22 costs by Lewes magistrates on October 24.
This was the first case brought under the Road Traffic (Foreign Vehicles) Act.
The defendant was held in custody — with the possibility of a 30-day prison sentence — pending assurances about payment; but the fine was paid by other drivers and Mr Calderon was released that same evening.
Blacking order
The NIRC granted an interim order on October 17 to stop the blacking by Liverpool dockers of vehicles operated by Howitt Bros Ltd and Howitt Transport Ltd, Bootle. The original complaint had been lodged against unfair industrial practice on September 14 and the hearing five days later was adjourned for negotiation, which proved unsuccessful.
Haringey parking ban
A parking ban on all vehicles over 2tons unladen and trailers over 10ft long is being imposed by Haringey Borough Council from November 20. It will operate in residential streets only, between 9prn and 7am on weekdays and all day on Sundays. First offenders face a fine of £20; penalty for subsequent offences can be up to £50. Lorry parking for 300 vehicles is available at Haringey stadium.
Drivers' charter agreed
On October 22 some 140 TGWU shop stewards from all over Britain overwhelmingly endorsed the "lorry drivers' charter" at a Birmingham meeting. The charter calls for a 35-hour week, with £35 a week basic wage, £3 subsistence and an end to "parasitic driver agencies". Tachographs and other EEC "benefits" were rejected, but the lifting of cold-store picketing in London was urged.
More bus priority
A call for greater traffic priority for buses was made by Edinburgh Corporation Transport's general manager, Mr Ronald Cox, when he presented the undertaking's annual report in mid-October. In particular he mentioned the need for bus lanes. Edinburgh Corporation buses lost more than 1m passengers last year, and Mr Cox thinks it was "a miracle" that they lost no more, in the face of the effects on congestion.
Coachwork Conversions expands
Driving the 5000th vehicle to be produced by Coachwork Conversions Ltd since they moved to Colne, Lancs, four years ago, Mr John Peyton officially opened a 24,000 sq ft extension to the company's bodybuilding plant on October 9.
A new parts store is a feature of the Colne extension, but the most significant development is the large area devoted to sub-assembly bays where major body sections are jig-built. By introducing a new cantrail section which is divided longitudinally, whole body sides can now be skinned as well as assembled before meeting the roof. The company is producing about 50 alloy goods bodies a week.
More public transport
A single universal transport system providing equality of transport opportunity for all sections of the community was advocated in From A to B, a transport research pamphlet published on October 23 by PEST, the Progressive Tory Pressure Group. It called for restrictions on cars to aid public transport movement.
The report is available price 20p from PEST at 9 Poland Street, London W1V 3DG.
Subsidies
Cumberland County Council has been recommended to contribute £57,000 towards the cost of maintaining unprofitable rural bus services, The money would be shared between Cumberland Motor Services (£24,000), Ribble (£20,000), Western SMT (£10,800), Blair and Palmer (£1,200) and Titterington and Son (£1000).
Glasgow PTA convenes
At the first meeting of the Glasgow Passenger Transport Authority on October 20 Cllr, T. McLaren was elected chairman; he is convener of Glasgow Corporation transport committee. The PTA has 30 members and covers Glasgow and 13 other local authority areas.
Travelcard for Midlands
Similar in outline to Stockholm's scheme, a Travelcard system was introduced by the West Midlands PTE on October 29. The Travelcards are season tickets costing £4 for four weeks go-anywhere travel on WMPTE buses (£2 for a child under 15). Excluded from the scheme are Birmingham night services.
The Travelcard carries a Polaroid colour photograph of the holder (the picture is self-developing in 1 minute) and Polaroid is monitoring the scheme with an eye to Continental developments.
A registration fee of 15p is charged, but renewal carries no fee. The tickets are sold from fixed points in Birmingham, Walsall and Wolverhampton, and from sales buses which will be used at various strategic points.