The union view on part-time drivers
Page 81
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I would refer to the article on part-time coach drivers (CM September 12).
The main argument apparently that the casual pay driver's licence is not renewed if the driver ceases to drive public service vehicles is a nonsense. There is no requirement in law that a psv driver needs to regularly drive buses or coaches in order to retain a licence. It is regarded that the signature for renewal by a coach or bus operator for a casual employee is sufficient to have the licence renewed whether the holder is employed on a regular basis or not. Certainly It does not give the necessary 'guarantee to the unsuspecting passenger.
The facts are that the trade destroys its own credibility in attempting to defend the indefensible. Surely, nobody who has the interest of safety as part of their terms of operation can argue that a part-time driver, even supported by the doubtful statistics of Dr Hunt of St John's College, Cambridge, is a less accident risk than those who drive coaches as a full-time occupation. • The fact is that Dr Hunt examined those details -supplied to him by some selected operators, he uses figures that prove nothing, examined less and subsequently provided no proof that substantiated or otherwise the comparative risk of part-time drivers against those more experienced full-time operators. It attempts to provide a whitewash brush to disguise the very real problems that the industry, quite -rightly, must answer for. Only a very detailed public examination by experts, with evidence supplied by all sides of public opinion, will satisfy the silent majority that the Government cares and :is prepared to act against those more irresponsible elements engaged in conveying the travelling public.
L. J. SMITH, National Secretary,
Passenger Services Group, TGWU.