More Illegal Contract Work • Than Ever. Before ?
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1IN a statenient to The Commercial I Motor" a few days ago, Mr D. E. Skelding, manager of the Road Passenger and Transport Association, Ltd., 8, Newhall Street, Birmingham, alleged that since• about the middle of 1946, there had been more illegal traffic in private parties than had been known in the whole of the 19 years since the Road Traffic Act came into force. He suggested that it should be reasonably easy . for the . Licensing Authorities to release fuel for advertised excursions and •tours, and 'decrease issues for the conveyanee of illegal traffic. Alternatively, they could, he said, perhaps make some recomthen,dations to the Minister of Transport for , the tightening-up of the law governing contract work.. If the latter course were .adopted. there. Would be no ill effect on genuine private-party '.work, but ' more -traffic could, pass by licensed , excursions and tours.
Mr. Skelding said that the Yorkshire Licensing Authority's recent statement that further cuts might have to be made in fuel for excursions and tours, added to the sense of injustice already experienced by established operators over the question of fuel allowances.. They.could not understand why. they seemed to be penalized more than the virtual newcomerto the industry, who relied on, contract, work—much of it, Mr. Skelding.alleged, illegal. He:thought. 'that the Licensing Authorities and "their staffsprobably spent a far greater amount of time on applications for excursions and :tours than on those for licences for stage and express services. "Yet, at the end of it all," he added, "the operator with a licence is to be on a par with the nonlicensed operator so far as fuel issues are concerned."
Enforcement officers, Mr. Skehling alleged, knew that "dummy '! organizers were being used by some operators to collect parties. and that these agents were paid for the work.