New light on licensing

13th September 1968, Page 85

13th September 1968

Page 85

Page 85, 13th September 1968 — New light on licensing

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Some startling conclusions can be drawn from the detailed plans for carriers' licensing which are revealed on pages 84 and 97 of this week's issue. Most operators will be relieved to have confirmation of the fact, however successful the Freightliners and however eager the Government, it will not be possible to introduce the special authorization procedure ("quantity licensing") before the latter part of 1970. This is within, say, six months of the General Election, with all that that may imply. But many operators will certainly not be pleased to discover, as we record exclusively today, that those who run vehicles exceeding 16 tons gross will effectively be placed at a disadvantage to those who run lighter vehicles, long before special authorizations come in.

This prompts the question: What would happen if operators' licensing were implemented but special authorizations were overtaken by a Conservative election victory and thus never introduced? Would carriers' licensing be continued —at least for some operators? The immediate point is that the Ministry clearly intends the limitations and conditions of existing A-, Band C-licences to be perpetuated during the interim period, but only in respect of vehicles exceeding 16 tons gross weight—thus paving the way for special authorizations. But "quality" licences for vehicles below that weight will normally carry no restrictions on traffic, radius or customers. They will be "general goods, anyone, anywhere, anytime".

If this interpretation is correct, then not only will hauliers be faced with the competition of the legally unlicensed small vehicles not exceeding 30cwt unladen, but those whose traffic is carried on trucks of over 16 tons face new inroads by operators running unrestrictedly with vehicles below that weight.

And the further news that no objections will be permitted to the first "quality" licences for existing carriers, that the LA will not probe their finances or rates, and that licensed transport managers will not have to be named for these continuation applications, means that there will be no check on rate-cutting at this stage.

While it is good to know that the indecent haste of our legislators in pushing through the Transport Bill is not to be repeated in the timetable for its licensing provisions, it is disturbing to discover that one result may be to unbalance competition within road haulage—and further distort the pattern of vehicle purchase.

Great day for the Irish

Sam Gray's victory in the Lorry Driver of the Year competition is both popular and well deserved. Driving a borrowed vehicle, and far from his native Lisburn, he put up a quiet, polished performance and repeatedly demonstrated how to avoid the risk of maximum penalty—which some took, simply to achieve the closest margin. If this reflects '"defensive driving" then he is well chosen as a champion of skill and safety for 1968.

Our congratulations go to him, and indeed to every competitor.