Down plating down
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HE GOVERNMENT has successfully resisted an Opposition atmipt to introduce downplating into the Transport Bill, but Junior ransport Minister Kenneth Clarke admitted there was room for iscussion.
But the chances of change are ot great: "We remain sceptical bout downplating," said Mr larke.
During a committee discuson of the Bill in the Commons 3st week La bout Transport Dokesman Albert Booth acused Mr Fowler of introducing system of administrative conenience —relating tax to plated weights. Many operators bought vehicles of much higher plated weight than they required, he said, to secure the volume they required. He instanced furniture makers, and toilet tissue, breakfast cereals and potato crisps manufacturers.
Those who undertook not to bring anything like the plated weight on to the roads should be able to use a downplating system, thought Mr Booth. The largest hgv running at full-plated weight chould carry a more reasonably proportionate burden. Those who ran at weight lower than the maximum gvw were unfairly penalised.
lain Mills (Conservative, Meriden} thought that downplating would encourage operators to use five rather than four-axled vehicles, so reducing road damage but was concerned that it might not give sufficient incentive for better lorries to be developed. He felt it important that incentives towards innovations and change in lorry design should be built into the system. Generally, he believed, large companies could not afford to break the law. He thought that those who would misuse voluntary down-plating would be small in number.
Mr Clarke admitted a degree of unfairness was inevitable, whatever system was adopted. A voluntary downplating system might be fair to operators who carried lighter loads but might be unfair to those who only occasionally loaded up a lorry to its full capacity. Voluntary downplating would also be difficult to enforce thought Mr Clarke.