R.H.A. Calls for Amendments to Bill: First Official Statement
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A FTER. three months, the Road Haulage Association has broken 1–x silence on the Transport Bill. A short announcement issued on October 2 did no more than,, confirm reports, already published by ' The Commercial Motor," of the attitude of the leaders of the Association towards the Bill, but a comprehensive statement of policy is to ie made at the R.H.A. conference at Blackpool, next week.
Last week's announcement reaffirmed the Association's belief in denationalization, but, in the interests of a smooth transition from State to private ownership and to give users better service at the earliest possible date, these three amendments to the Bill were proposed:— (I) The 25-mile radius should be abolished at once.
(2) Alternatively, permits should be issued on a far more generous scale than at present.
(3) The proposed levy should be. reconsidered.
32 Resolutions
These points are covered by four resolutions -to be submitted to the conference. Altogether, 32 resolutions are scheduled for discussion. They deal with nine main subjects—road safety, highway construction, licensing, taxation, fuel and tyres, construction and use of vehicles, industrial relations, membership and administration and the Transport Bill.
Under the heading "Road Safety," there are resolutions calling for standardized road lighting, extended use of "cats' eyes" and for caution in passing legislation to make two rear lights compulsory on lorries.
Other resolutions complain of excessive taxation and demand greater expenditure on the roads.
One of three motions on licensing calls on the Association to ask the Minister of Transport to prohibit Chiring margins, except where a contract is entered into for a suitable period with one named concern. Another requires that objectors, their representatives and witnesses should be granted expenses if the applicant fails to attend a hearing or withdraws without previous notice.
Increased Tax Allowance
There are five resolutiont dealing with taxation. One asks that the tax allowance on Aand B-licence vehicles should be increased from 25 per cent. to 33i per cent. per annum on depreciating values. Others require the remission of purchase tax on goodsvehicle chassis and on record forms.
The need for the Association to use its bargaining power to obtain more widely graduated fuel rebates will be pressed at the conference and a motion criticizing the high price of tyres will be proposed.
Two more resolutions call for the legalizing of 8-ft.-wide goods vehicles and for the removal of the 20 m.p.h, speed limit.
One of the most contentious resolutions proposes the abolition of the Road A24 Haulage Wages Council and its replacement by a system of free bargaining. The suggestion is also made that the Association should organize or sponsor a scheme to provide a drivers' record book on the lines of a seaman's discharge book, for the benefit of both employers and drivers.
The Association is to be urged to adopt a code of conduct for its members, to prepare a register of members for sub-contracting, and to provide for two discounts, one for members and one for non-members.
EXTRA 7s, FOR LONDON BUSMEN
A N increase of 7s. a week, payable from September 17, has been awarded to drivers, conductors, garage and depot engineering staff of the London Transport Executive. Some 58,000 employees will benefit by it, and the award will cost the Executive £1.25m. a year.
A similar increase has been granted to municipaLand company bus operatives. The London claim was to have been heard by the Industrial Court on October 15.
NORTHERN ROADWAYS CONTINUES
THE services of Northern Roadways, Ltd., from Glasgow and Edinburgh to London, and from Glasgow to Birmingham, are continuing to be run, although no licences have yet been granted by the English Licensing Authorities concerned. The company reached this decision after taking legal advice, and intends to run the journeys until its applications are finally disposed of.
Delete Clause 8, Says N.A.F.W.R.
THE National Association of Furniture Warehousemen and Removers has decided to press for the deletion of Section 8 from the Transport Bill. Among other things, this clause proposes that where there is an objection to a licence application, the onus of proving that the objection is valid shall lie on the objector, instead of on the applicant. The section generally is intended to relax slightly the present licensing system.
The Association is also dropping its campaign in favour of the amendment of the definition of "ordinary furniture removal" in the Transport Act, 1947.
The executive council of the Association has decided that before approaching the Road Haulage Executive to secure the issue of permits in wider terms than at present, the outcome of the Road Haulage Association's consideration of the question should be known. The R.H.A. is being asked also to press for the deletion of Section 8.
GLASGOW TRANSPORT NOT • OFFERED TO B.T.C.
CA.A T a meeting of Glasgow Corporation, last week, Cfir. W. B. Samuels asked whether it were the intention of the transport convener to open negotiations with the British Transport Commission to take over the transport department. In the absence of the convener, Lord Greenhill replied in the negative.
Bailie Gordon Reid asked what steps the convener had taken to implement the corporation's decision to appoint a panel of experts to investigate the affairs of the department. Lord Greenhill answered that this .matter had not been submitted to the transport committee.
[Since Labour regained power on the corporation last May, proposed appointments to the panel have been in abeyance.] R.H.E. WORKERS' INCREASE
THE Industrial. Court has awarded increases of 8s. per week to nearly 50,000 adult drivers, mates and bank staff, and 7s. 4d. per week (2d. per hour) to nearly 10,000 engineering maintenance workers employed by the Road Haulage Executive. The increases, with proportionate amounts for juniors, operate as from September 29, 1952.
B.E.T. ORDERS 500
THE British Electric Traction Group has ordered 500 Leyland Tiger Cubs. These vehicles are 44-seat models which weigh 5 tons 7 cwt.
Over half of the inquiries handled by the Leyland sales staff during the Commercial Motor Show related to chassis of this type.
A Government-sponsored trade mission is to visit Central America next month. It will be led by Brig. W. H. Crosland, C.B.E., D.S.O.
Show Overseas Attendance Doubled
LTHOUGH 4,000 fewer people In. visited the Commercial Motor Show this year, compared with 1950, the number of visitors from overseas was more than double the previous figure. A total of 112,476 people attended the Show.
The interest shown by overseas buyers in specialized bodywork at the Show had been keen, said Mr. W. F. Spurling, chairman and managing director of Spurting Motor Bodies, Ltd., last week. Mr. Sydney S. Guy, chairman and managing director of Guy Motors, Ltd., speaking to overseas visitors, said that, in the interest of economy, some of his company's larger and more enlightened customers were ceasing to demand vehicles with highpowered engines.
Inquiries for double-deckers for use on airfields were made by a representative of a large American concern. It was proposed to embark passengers on board aircraft direct from the upper deck, so as to give them complete protection against the weather from terminal buildings to the aircraft.
U.K. TECHNICIANS FOR SPAIN
ATEAM of technical representatives from the British motor industry, headed by Mr. S. S. Dawes, M.I.Mech.E., president of the Institute of the Motor Industry, will deliver papers at the Technical and International Automobile Congress, to be held at Madrid and Barcelona from October 20-26.
The Congress is organized by the Sociedad de Technicos de Automogion under the auspices of the Federation Internationale des Societes des Ingenicurs et Techniciens de l'Automobile. The team comprises Mr. H. F. Chadbourne (Humber, Ltd.), Mr. J. H. Haman (Dunlop Rubber Co., Ltd.), Mr. F. J. W. Holt (F. Perkins, Ltd.), and Mr. W. R. Turner (Ford Motor Co., Ltd.).
NO FARES RISE AFTER considering the effect of the recent wages award, which will cost the transport undertaking £37,000 a
year, Newcastle on Tyne Transport Committee has decided not to increase fares during the current financial year. The undertaking is stated to be in a reasonable financial position, but further increases in operating costs would lead to an application to raise fares.
JOINT ACTION TO MAINTAIN EMPLOYMENT
AiJOINT committee of trade unionists and Members of Parliament, to take action to maintain employment in the motor and other
engineering industries in the,Midlands, is to be set up.
Last Saturday, Labour Members representing Coventry and Birmingham constituencies met members of the Coventry and Birmingham district committees of the Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions, when the decision to form the committee was taken. The committee will report to the conference not later than December 1.
After the meeting, a statement was issued calling on the Government to take immediate action to deal with the obstacles to British export trade.
P•V•O.A• Joins the Duplication Fight
A CTION is being taken by the IA Passenger Vehicle Operators' Association in an effort to prevent the State-owned coach companies from obtaining an unfair advantage over private operators in duplication.
As reported in "The Commercial Motor" on September 19, the Minister of Transport dismissed appeals by the North Western Road Car Co., Ltd., and others against the North Western Licensing Authority's refusal to lift restrictions imposed in 1933 and 1934 on duplication on services from Manchester, Blackpool and Blackburn to London. Limits on duplication by the State-owned Crosville Motor Services, Ltd., on the Liverpool-London route, had been lifted.
Mr. J. W. Nelson, who heard the appeal, said that an unrestricted licence for an independent operator implied an obligation to meet public demand in full. A similar grant to State-owned companies implied no such obligation. The extent of operation depended entirely on the policy of the British Transport Commission.
The P.V.O.A. has forwarded details of the case to several Members of Parliament and is to approach the Minister of Transport on the subject of discrimination between State-owned and private companies. The national council of the Association held a special meeting last week to consider the question and a committee was set up to take action.
Members of the committee, which held several meetings last week, are Mr. W. Seddon, chairman of P.V.O.A., Mr. John Birch, Mr. F. J. Speight mid Mr. F. A. Walker, national secretary. The committee of inquiry set up by the Minister to investigate the licensing system, will be well aware of the case, as both Mr. F. Williamson, the North Western Licensing Authority, and Mr. Speight are members of it.
The removal of control of road passenger transport from the B.T.C., for which the Association is pressing, would resolve the question.