Beckham tells Government to put efficiency first
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A PLEA to the Govern ment to put the interests of efficiency first when considering transport was made on Wednesday by Mr Bob GO Beckham, president of the
0 Freight Transport Association, speaking in Manches0 ter.
Mr Beckham said that in Nor recent months the FTA had been telling the Government that the country could not afford the massive expenditure, "to say nothing of the probable industrial strife," which would result from the compulsory fitting of tachographs and the reduced drivers' hours effective from January 1976.
"I suggest that they are luxuries which we cannot afford until we have once again learned to pay our way in a world of fast-changing values," he said.
Mr Beckham turned the same logic to other areas of transport planning. He pointed out that, while admitting that lorry routeing wasa good concept in principle, every single minute per day added to goods vehicle journeys cost the country Om per year. A decision had to be taken whether that item of expenditure-could be afforded in 1975.
The other side of the same coin was the decision on whether to allow heavier lorries. "In a time when the national need is for maximum efficiency at minimum cost, the urgent requirement to reduce consumption of high-cost motor fuel must surely loom our list of priorities this reason alone we improved productiv the heavier lorry woi vide." he said.
Hopefully, said M ham, the current urg the country's need help to clear the fog judice which hac rounded the issue. Tt sion -so long defe resisted -now neede reappraised with c and objectivity in the present circumstance!