"Too Many Vehicles" Mr. Dalton
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THE obstacle in the way of the achievement of an integrated and efficient transport service was the presence on the roads of too many vehicles, many of which were travelling about half-loaded, said Mr. Hugh Dalton, Minister of Town and Country Planning, in the House of Commons, last week.
He continued: "They are using petrol, they are wearing out road surfaces, they are increasing the number of road accidents, and they are uneconomic: It is part of our purpose to get rid of this redundancy and to provide an efficient transport system. I am confident that in the next few years the practical work of or new scheme will bring that about."
Much was being made of the fact that some 5,000 permits were being terminated in February. Mr. Dalton contended that this was a relatively small number of the total of permits granted, and when they were originally given it was made perfectly clear that they might be terminated. There was no ground for surprise or recrimination by hauliers.
Previous speakers had included Mr. Peter Thorneycroft and Mr. Geoffrey Wilson, as briefly reported in last week's issue of "The Commercial Motor."
Mr. Thorneycroft produced a circular sent to group managers of the Road Haulage Executive. They were invited to draw up a list of permits to be granted and those to be revoked. "These are men who are in direct competition with the hauliers concerned," he said. This was a complete abdication of responsibility by the British Transport Commission, +which had handed it over to the R.H.E.
Mr. Wilson asked: "Can it possibly be said that the R.H.E. can provide an alternative public service cheaper and more convenient than that provided by the 5300 road hauliers whose businesses are being written off at the stroke of a pen? If it can, why is it that these businesses are still in existence, because they have been in competition with the Road Haulage Executive for some time? "
THREE MORE APPEALS
THREE appeals are scheduled to be I heard before the Appeal Tribunal on November 21 at Halifax House, Strand, London, W.C.2. The first is by Messrs. Fentons Transport against a decision of the Metropolitan Deputy Licensing Authority. The Railway and Road Haulage Executives and six other concerns are respondents.
Messrs. L. A, Bishop appear as respondents in the two other appeals, which are by B. Flintham, Ltd., and Messrs. J. Carrie against decisions of the Metropolitan Licensing Authority.
The Annis appeal will be resumed at Halifax Rouse on November 22 and 23.