New licensing system will be

13th September 1968, Page 86

13th September 1968

Page 86

Page 86, 13th September 1968 — New licensing system will be

Noticed an error?
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.

phased over two years by a special corresponden

• When the Transport Bill receives Royal Assent and becomes an Act in several weeks' time, goods vehicles not exceeding 30 cwt. unladen will be completely freed from carriers' licensing immediately. That much is known. But how the plans for operators' licences ("quality" licensing) and special authorizations ("quantity" licensing) will be introduced is a matter of much greater concern for most hauliers and C-men.

It is now possible to piece together enough information to arrive at a reliable time-table for these provisions. As the table right shows, even if Opposition Amendments are removed from the Bill, the process will take at least two years, and will not schedule the introduction of special authorizations before the latter part of 1970.

Operators' licences will start to replace A, B and C licences late next year, and transport managers' licensing (initially for new operator applicants only) will be introduced at about the same time.

But there is more to it than this. Existing operators will face no objections when they apply to "swap" carriers' licences for operators' licences; they will not need to name a transport manager at this time; and only those running vehicles over 16 tons gross will remain bound by carriers' licence conditions.

Today, on pages 97-98, CM looks at the current picture in the light of this information and explains how each measure will affect operators and intending operators.

The lack of such detailed information in the past has caused confusion in the industry, and much of the resentment ow the proposed new legislation could alma certainly have been avoided if the Goverr ment had announced at least an outline these plans.