A matter of licence
Page 47
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I have been an all-types public service vehicle licence-holder for the past five years. having been through what everyone will agree is a fairly rigorous test. I find it hard to believe therefore that persons such as myself are deemed capable of driving a 40ft-long, six wheel rigid vehicle carrying, what surely is the most fragile and demanding of loads, namely the public, and yet incapable of driving a,3-ton truck loaded with tins of beans.
One must agree that there is something of an anomaly evident in this case. Many coach drivers have been deprived of a valuable money earning facility in out of season periods by what appears to be benighted bureaucratic action when hgv legislation was brought into force. It could, on the other hand be possible that a minority must suffer the consequences of higher politics. What, for instance, would become of the tourist trade if coach drivers forsook their driving seats for those of patently more lucrative heavy goods vehicles?
I was recently offered a position as a coach driver by a large and well-known travel concern (Court Line Travel). The remuneration for six, 12-hour days was €30.00. a staggering 41.06p per hour. This amount I can assure you is the top rate generally offered. If we are to believe that these businesses are too hard up to pay a decent living wage, the question arises as to whether or not the charge for the service provided is adequate. If it is the case that the charging of an economically viable rate would force the tourists and the like to other forms of travel, perhaps then we may conclude that the service is unnecessary and redundant.
All this brings me back to the plight of the all-types psv holders. They are considered professionally unqualified to drive rigid goods vehicles up to Class II arid 'thus denied the democratic right to earn a decent living wage, unless they are prepared to fork out what is in many cases an exorbitant fee. They may then hire a vehicle in order to take a test to regain a right which was taken away for seemingly indefensible reasons. A just remedy for the situation would be that holders of all-type psv licences should be granted a Class II hgv, or facilities should be provided to enable them to take training for a Class I Licence at no expense to themselves.
BRIAN OSBORNE, West Ealing, London