European licence
Page 17
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Whatever the outcome of the RHA survey on European licensing (page 16 this week) there will, be a great deal of discussion and controversy before the result is known. The choice before the operators is clear; either they accept the European system or endeavour to have the other market members adopt our system.
The answer would be easy if all of our operators accepted that our system was best. Unfortunately this is not the case. It seems that while they agree with the principle of operators" licensing many operators are concerned with its implementation. They claim that lack of enforcement is making a mockery of the system and that the activities of legitimate operators are being adversely affected by the less scrupulous. They go so far as to claim that the protective elements of the old carriers licensing system should be reintroduced.
If this is the wish of the majority then their choice must surely be for the European system where restrictive conditions are attached to licences. However, in addition to proof of need it should be clearly understood that proof of fitness is superimposed on the system and the prospect of long and expensive court proceedings which were a feature of our former system cannot prove very attractive.
When our transport spokesman goes to Brussels he should be armed with a well-defined case for whichever system we decide on and the system should be one which is acceptable to all operators. A divided industry cannot hope to lead the policy-makers in Europe and according to Nigel Despicht they are capable of being led (CM March 3).
Now is the time when everyone should be discussing the alternatives. Now is the time when we should be thrashing out the arguments. It will be too late to .change things once we are in Europe and unless everyone participates in the preliminary discussions and the RHA survey they cannot complain if the European licensing system which evolves is not to their liking.