Not Enough Road Transport Voice in New Export Freight Plan?
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FROM OUR POLITIC AL CORRESPONDENT
nFFICIAL bodies representing the 1---froad transport industry are considering whether to ask Mr. George Brown to give them a stronger voice on his newly appointed committee to speed the movement of exports.
As forecast by The Commercial Motor last week. Mr. Brown announced the formation of this Economic Development Committee, under the chairmanship of Lord Caldecote, to the House of Commons.
But—apart from the inclusion of Mr. R. L. H. Farmer of Atlas Express Ltd.— road goods operators are not represented officially on the committee, which is chock-full of official representatives of most of the other bodies concerned.
The Road Haulage Association said this week that Mr. Farmer, who represents a leading firm of parcels carriers, would also—as a prominent member of the RHA—be watching their interests.
However, the British Road Federation confirmed last week-end that they had not been asked to nominate a member to the committee, and the TRTA were similarly in the dark.
It is open to both organizations to approach the Ministry of Economic Affairs about the omission. as Mr. Brown said in his announcement that "some other representation may be appointed" in addition to the 16 committee members already named.
These members are:
Lord Rochdale (National Ports Council), Mr. P. Shirley (British Rail), Mr. R. L. H. Farmer (Atlas Express), Mr. S. Wheateroft (airline consultant), Mr. K. M. Campbell (British India Steam Navigation Co.), Mr. A. R. Glen (Export Council for Europe), Mr. N. J. Freeman (British Shippers Council), Mr. K. J. McBryde (Federation of British Industries), Mr. H. Brown (AEI), Mr. G. W. Brassington (NUR), Mr. T. O'Leary (TGWU), Mr. D. F. Tennant (Merchant Navy and Airline Officers Assoc.), Mr. I. J. Young (Dept. of Economic Affairs), Mr. D. E. O'Neill (Ministry of Transport), Miss K. E. Boyes (Board of Trade) and Mr. M. G. Graham (NEDC office).
As forecast, the committee will look at the present system of moving goods out of the country, and make proposals to improve and speed the flow. It will consider the problems of all forms of transport, including air.
The chances of streamlining methods of packing, shipping, forwarding and warehousing (including documentation), as well as systems of centralized freight booking, will come in for special study.
Lord Rochdale will be able to draw on an immense fund of observation and critical reaction which his own committee produced in its report on the docks. There was no doubt, after the publication of this report, that a considerable amount of money was being wasted through disorganization on the quaysides.
It has now been estimated that, during last year, there were enough exports jammed in the " pipeline " to halve the balance of trade deficit. They added up to a full two weeks export effort, worth £175 million.
The experts in Mr. Brown's Economics Ministry also believe the time is ripe for a breakthrough in air freight. There is a surprising range of goods which can now be taken to Europe economically by air because of the faster stock turnover and because it avoids the need to reassemble and test goods which have to be knocked down for sea transit.