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by George Wilmot,
Senior Lecturer in Transport Studies, University of London
A future for the TML committee
IS there any real future for the Transport Manager's Licence Committee? The legislation relating to this section of operators' licensing is not likely to be activated by regulations in the foreseeable future. The Committee's proposals envisaging a system of voluntary grades for transport managers in public haulage and own-account operation were welcomed by the Minister but an application for a loan in order to launch such a scheme was refused. Nevertheless, I believe that the Committee's work of nearly four years has not been wasted and will be Important during the next few years for three principal reasons.
For more than a decade there has been considerable urgency for the professional institutes in transport to co-ordinate their educational effort. Scarce resources in administration and teaching expertise need to be concentrated as much as possible instead of being diffused over a wide area. Lip-service was given to the idea of co-ordination but the four institutes concerned with road transport still ploughed their own furrows regardless of what was being effected by their neighbours.
The convening of the TML Committee brought the various bodies together and, over the four years, a great deal more understanding has been engendered. An example of co-operation has been the arrangement for common intermediate examinations by the Chartered Institute of Transport and the Industrial Transport Association.
A number of other interesting ideas 'of co-ordination are being currently mooted. The schemes arranged for the four voluntary grades of transport managers not only embodied the examination requirements of the four professional institutes but alsO took into account the work of the universities and other providers so that a complete picture of road transport provision was obtained.
Just as important has been the meeting of the trade associations — the RHA and the FTA with the professional institutes as both associations have recruited full-time officers responsible for training and education. The presence of the RTITB on the Committee is the last piece of the jigsaw making up road transport education and training. Thus, every member organization has in clear focus all the developments in the training field.
Secondly, entry into the Common Market will inevitably alter the whole course of legislation in road transport. On the "quality'' side it is a distinct probability that, when there is a co-ordinated transport policy, an examination system will be introduced for international and large-scale national operators. Such a system already exists in rather embryonic form in Belgium, West Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands.
For the larger-scale operators, Belgium and West Germany require three years of experience or success in an examination. France has moved further towards professionalism by demanding definite examination qualifications. An examination is also held in Holland, and Italy will approve only hauliers who hold a certificate of professional aptitude. Thus, it is obviously important that the TML voluntary schemes of study for four grades are kept well in the foreground.
Finally, the Committee could be a collecting ground for ideas on how to improve the general image of the industry — so tremendously important with schools, youth employment officers, and university appointments officers. The industry is just not getting the calibre of men that it so urgently needs. The Committee could go further and become the basis for a body governing the activities of road transport management as a profession. It would be tragic to lose the impetus that the original legislation accidentally gave to this movement. The Transport Manager's Licence Committee (perhaps under a revised name) must be the main agent to force the pace towards professionalism.