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TORIES WOULD WIDEN COMPETITION
Page 40
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Hinton Report With Minister
FROM OUR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT
PriLE Conservative Party has come out ly in favour of making the Geddes Report a keystone of its future transport policy. Declaring that competition, efficiency and incentive are the three business aims of a future Tory Government, the Party's first major policy document since the election defeat says:
"We would widen competition in road haulage on the lines recommended by the Geddes Committee."
This underlines the prediction, made by The Commercial Motor on June 25, that the Conservatives would probably implement licensing abolition if they _ regained power.
This one phrase, without details, is as far as Mr. Edward Heath and his colleagues have gone in their interim policy publication, "Putting Britain Right Ahead ". But it adds, when talking of the State-owned industries: "There needs to be much more concern for the user or customer, and a much more businesslike approach."
The document lists these pressing needs of transport, as the Tories see them: (1) Really modern rail services—fast, comfortable, clean and convenient, and highly competitive with road or air services: (2) A much more comprehensive motorway system and more improvements to other main roads to take some
Van Hire Link
GODFREY DAVIS LTD.. Britain'i largest independent car hire company, has been granted a 10-year franchise by the International Hertz Rent A Car oragnization. This was announced by Hertz at a reception in London last week.
This arrangement is to be put into hand immediately, so that the service is now offered at more than 250 Godfrey Davis or Daimler Hire stations throughout the U.K. Daimler Hire is a whollyowned subsidiary of Hertz.
The combined Godfrey Davis-Daimler Hire van fleet now totals not far short of 500 (Godfrey Davis run more than 150 and Hertz about 279).
Excise Licence Refunds
THE question of refunds on exCise licences was raised at a recent meeting of the Transport Association. A member drew attention to the fact that at present a refund could be claimed only if a vehicle was off the road for at least a month. "As licence duty is now so heavy," he said, "representations ought to be made to the Government to grant refunds for part of a month ". of the strain and danger out of driving; (3) Better traffic management in towns, to deal with congestion; (4) More mobile police; (5) Greater scope for private enterprise to compete with statutory undertakings in all forms of transport.
The whole document plugs the place which individual enterprise must have in
the economic future. Its broad aims constitute a virtual declaration of war on any future Socialist plan to put road haulage into a State straitjacket.
Meanwhile, a significant stage has been reached in Labour's planning on the transport front. Lord Hinton, who was drafted into the Transport Ministry to look at the possibility of an integrated transport system, this week packed his bags and left for America, his job completed.
This means that the Transport Minister has been told quite definitely whether, in Lord Hinton's view, integration is possible or not. Although his actual conclusions may never be revealed, it has been widely said that the former State electricity boss gave this cherished Socialist idea the "thumbs down ".
Some clearer indication of the Government's thoughts on the future of transport cannot be long delayed. Either in the Queen's speech a few weeks hence, or soon thereafter, Mr. Wilson ought to show his hand.