HAND IN HAND?
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that's the query on twin thinking by Ministers
BY JOHN FRIEDMAN
AS Mrs. Barbara Castle and the West German Minister of Transport, Herr Georg Leber conferred in London last week, speculation that their policies are moving on the same State-grab lines mounted.
There were clues at a brief Press conference after their talks: "I have no doubts whatsoever about the British political transport programme and its bid to offset the railway deficit," said Herr Leber, ex-bricklayer who became Transport Minister last December.
"We are co-ordinating decisions on transport," said Mrs. Castle.
Both, of course, emphasized that they had the EEC much in mind; that their planning was on international lines; that they were pooling ideas towards rationalization.
But observers had few doubts that the twin problem of rail deficits occupied much of their discussions.
And this week came the news that the German Ministry of Transport has warned hauliers there that action is pending to secure more goods traffic for the railways—on the lines now proposed by Mrs. Castle.
Worried West German hauliers are already examining the British proposals with deep and sudden interest.
UK inter-Continental operators, already fighting the Castle plans, agree that West Germany's financial crisis—quite apart from her rail deficit—appears to be prompting a much more restrictive attitude to foreign road transport entering the Republic.
Evidence of this is provided by the recent limitation to 50 litres of the amount of fuel which can be taken into the country free of tax.
Another imposition is the requirement for semi-trailers to be provided with green cards and the cryptic provision that containers must have carnets de passage.