Vehicles. T . ht Nobody'• Wants P1 1 41-E inciease 61 13,750 in
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the 1951 quota of J.-goeds-r: vehicles ,Thr the home market, cOtit13,ared'Wittrthat'of the present year, will be welconted„ although it ,falls far short of the requiretrade and industry in replacing worn-ont ielicae-S. Coach and bus operators.-Will probably ilotz, e u y ,inconvenienced by the reduction of,300 ñtheirsupplies Of vehicles, as during the p'ast -.few months there has been a marked decline in • deinand. In the • municipal field, the absence of • Capital and the reluctance of the Minister of Transport to authorize loans have .severely curtailed orders for buses. .
In raising the total quota of commercial vehicles from 81,550 this year to 95,000 in 1951, the Minister of Supply has, however; given little satisfaction to the makers of heavy vehicles. The Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Minister of Transport have, between them, killed the 'home' market for "hand-built " vehicles. The imposition of purchase tax on goods chassis has militated against the sale of expensive vehicles. and has. brought the suggestion that the basis orta-xation • should be changed from wholesale prieeto rated laden tonnage. ' Having regard tQ th-2.. high Cost of rearmament, thereis little hope that the tax will be removed in the next Budget,, but there appears to be a sound case tor.alfering the Method of computation. lyationalizati-ort Of transport and the 20 m.p.h.. "spcidlitnit for heavy goods vehicles, for which the Minister of Transport is responsible,.. have also damaged the home market for specialist-built vehieles:: The producers are now paying dearly for the apathy shown by the whole of the manu-. facturing side of the industry towards the Fate or the...haulier when the Transport Act was before Parliament. -.
The time for recrimination is, however, long past: Immediate action is required to safeguard the interests of the heavy-vehicle makers, who have done so much to earn the foreign exchange on which 13ritain relies. Without a stable home market, they can-not compete overseas with America, Germany and other active foreign producers, and the core of the commercial-vehicle industry will glow rotten_ Eventually the whole fruit will becoine contaminated.