AT THE HEART OF THE ROAD TRANSPORT INDUSTRY.

Call our Sales Team on 0208 912 2120

A great step forward in co-operation

12th July 1968, Page 64
12th July 1968
Page 64
Page 64, 12th July 1968 — A great step forward in co-operation
Close
Noticed an error?
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.

Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

THE Institute of Transport has called together representatives of the educational institutes concerned with road transport, the trade associations and the Road Transport Industry Training Board to discuss proposals for the transport manager's licence (TML). This bare statement does not appear to be particularly startling, but in fact the development is of some moment. For many years there have been cries about the need for the Institute of Traffic Administration and the Industrial Transport Association to co-ordinate their work with the much larger Institute of Transport.

The educational work of these three Institutes has pursued roughly identical aims from the point of view of road haulage operations and traffic problems. There has always existed a sharp divide between the "traffic" side of the road goods industry and the maintenance and engineering aspects. It is good to know that the Institute of Road Transport Engineers has also accepted an invitation to be present at these talks. The need for the two sides to understand the aims of each other has never been more paramount than now.

The two trade associations—the Road Haulage Association and the Traders' Road Transport Association—are both vitally concerned about the form of the trans

port manager's licence. It is entirely appropriate that they should be represented. Both are obviously much closer to the practical needs of the industry as a whole and in recent years they have been keenly interested in management education and training. The RTITB can assess what is feasible and set the ball rolling for course arrangements once an agreed system of examinations for the TML is put forward and accepted.

It may be regrettable that an important section of a controversial Transport Bill should be the means of bringing the various strands of road transport education and training together. The cause is, however, unimportant the vital factor is that all these organizations are at last meeting together. After all, this is the first time, to my knowledge, that all the educational and training interests in the road haulage industry—both public hauliers and own-account operators have ever met together.

Great events could stem from these talks which would be of inestimable benefit to the industry. It would be pleasant to think of such a group being responsible for the organization and the testing involved in the TML. Not a particularly far-fetched idea since this is the Ministry's mind. The White Paper (The Transport of Freight) expressed the hope that once a system of "examina

tions" is agreed that the industry itse would eventually be responsible for the cor tent and the running of the system.

This would represent a substantial ste forward. But there are other hopes. Thi representative body could well look beyon the TML and review a number of question; Can we really be satisfied with managemer training and education throughout all grade of the industry? Expertise in teaching an training is limited. So ought there to be pooling of the scarce resources? Are exisi ing professional examination awards reall meeting the needs of' the industry? Is there place for a road transport staff college Ought the industry to press the claims of transport degree course to give more vigou to the thin skeleton of university provisio in this subject?

These seem to be some of the vitt questions a body like this ought to b looking at in the future. Indeed, why shoul not this body become the eventual guardia of training and education in the industry?

I may be accused of indulging in wishti thinking. But it would be a tragedy if thi opportunity of permanent co-operation bt tween the organizations should be allowe to slip away.

Mr. Wilmot is Senior Lecturer in Transpol Studies. University of Londoi


comments powered by Disqus