Common Market Argument Over "Secret" Rates
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THE Dutch Government has this week issued to the Common Market cornapssion an official memorandum on the ubject of transport within the six-country aarket area. The note urges the existence if transport in the area as an independent adustry, the possibility for transport iperators to be able to offer their services a all parts of the market area without estriction, the granting of free choice to ustomers with regard to their means of ransport, and the freedom of operators
o fix rates, obligatory rate publication peing unnecessary and undesirable. Although a check on the experience and olvency of prospective new operators is onsidered "probably necessary" by the )utch Government, this stresses in its aemorandum that limitation of tither apacity or field of activities are innecessary.
Maio Obstacle This plea for a completely free transport market within the Little Six is not Pew on the part of Holland. The Dutch efusai, together with that of Italy, to .ccept rate publication as part of interpational co-ordination within the trade lc—Holland claims this would be conrary to the Dutch constitution—has been Pne of the main obstacles in the fulfilling pf the Common Market agreement in its undamental transport clauses.
Other signatories of the Rome Treaty, particularly West Germany, which over a period of years has had a national rate Publication law for road transport, have Ready shown that they are not prepared o yield to Holland on this point and it nay be expected that the hold-up in transport development in the Common Market vill continue for a long time yet.
Little Support The "full freedom to operate called 'or by the Dutch memorandum will find ittle support at the Brussels headquarters If the commission, or among Governnents of fellow-member countries—even hough Dutch Press opinions show that [he Hague is optimistic and hopes for he publication clause and perhaps other imiting regulations to be dropped from he international draft.
Modern Parking
THE Autostacker, believed to be the
first fully automatic garage to be :ompleted in this country, has been :rected in Beresford Street, Woolwich, It vill provide off-the-treet parking for 256 :ars and a further 50 cars at ground level m the site reserved for a second garage. [he all-day parking charge will be 2s. 6d, With the completion of the Autostacker tnd other car parks already in use in the Noolwich area, there are now some 650 aarking places off the highway for the ill-day parker.