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BEGINNERS' HURDLES
Page 50
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• Your summary article (CM .1-7 June) will be welcomed, I am sure, by many readers.
I myself have been concerned with operator-licence administration for some years now and I therefore feel it incumbent upon me to offer a comment on the information you give. My worry is that your guide may appear to gloss over one of the thorniest problems encountered by operators.
I think that many seasoned
operators would agree with me
if I highlight the operating centre as this major hurdle. There is no doubt about it that with the ever-increasing vociferous lobby of the environmentalists, suitable operating centres are difficult to find.
Even the very big companies with nationally-based operations are encountering increasing problems in this area. Even small operators salted away in the corner of the countryside who, years ago, would not have raised any eyebrows at all, now find themselves before a Public Inquiry because newcomers to the countryside find their idyllic ideals shattered by a grain tipper trundling past their door.
We take very great care when we talk to our clients about making sure that operating centres are suitable. While we sometimes paint a picture of gloom and doom we do find that a little careful investigation and practical forethought can save a great deal of time and money in the long run.
I think I should also mention that it does take some considerable time (even assuming no problems with an application) for a licence to be granted. The Traffic Area staff are hard-pressed throughout the whole country to process applications efficiently and smoothly (despite computerisation!) even when all the paperwork is in order.
Our experience shows that a minimum of a couple of months is not an unusual period before a decision is made on an application. It is possible to get something going a little quicker than this but that also takes time.
H R Owen,
Mills Associates, Portsmouth.