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RHA action call

16th February 1985
Page 5
Page 5, 16th February 1985 — RHA action call
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

BRITISH hauliers are demanding early Government Continental operators from running into the country permits. action to stop without valid Road Haulage Association director-general Freddie Plaskett wrote to Transport Secretary Nicholas Ridley on Tuesday this week, demanding an end to the rules which prevent Customs officers from stopping such illegal operation.

This follows RHA international group chairman Russ Peters' revelation of the practice last year (CM October 13, 1984).

At present, only Department of Transport examiners have power to stop vehicles which do not have valid permits, and they make only about one visit a week to the main ferry ports.

Customs officers only have authority to forward details of illegal operation to the DTp in London, and leave it to pursue the matter with foreign governments. The RHA believes that is no deterrent.

According to Mr Plaskett, his members engaged in international haulage fear that their declining share of international traffic is caused at least in part by Continental firms' ability to gain access to Britain without permits.

And he told Mr Ridley: "Foreign hauliers are astonished that it is so easy to bend the permit rules for operation within Britain, when their own countries rules are so strictly enforced."

He said the RHA is "at a loss" to understand what it sees as indifference to the problem on the part of the Dip. The "flagrant flouting" of our rules compared with strict enforcement at the frontiers to all other EEC states.

This is one area where the RHA can rely on the unequivocal support of the Freight Transport Association. Its international officer, Dave Green, told CM that it was anxious to see that proper procedures are followed at ports and would welcome the extension of banning powers to Customs office r S


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