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Tories promise to axe White Paper plans if they get back
Page 58
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AFIVE-POINT promise to stop the Government's "ruin of road haulage" immediately the Conservatives are returned to power was made on Friday by Shadow Transport Minister, Mr. Peter Walker.
Speaking at an RHA central London sub-area dinner, he promised that the Tories would:
"Eliminate immediately mileage restrictions if they have been imposed by this Government.
"Fairly and reasonably allow competition between road and rail.
"Restore some form of investment allowance or investment grant so that you are positively encouraged to constantly modernize your fleet.
"See that the taxation imposed on the motor vehicle operator is reasonable and fair and that your industry is not used as a much cow for the Treasury.
"Set about creating for Britain a road system which will result in the road haulage industry creating the minimum of congestion in our towns and enjoying the benefits of fast and free movement to our ports and docks and to our centres of industry."
Criticizing what he described as the appalling injustice of proposals in the White Paper on Freight Transport, Mr. Walker felt it would mean: "New tribunals, new bureaucrats, increased numbers of Civil Servants—all in order to ruin road haulage without paying any form of compensation".
A Conservative Government would revise the licensing system. Having "properly and effectively consulted all those in the road haulage industry" it would legislate to meet two basic needs.
Quality licensing would be introduced to ensure proper maintenance of vehicles and the "responsible and proper" employment of drivers and any owner of the motor vehicle, whether an industrialist or a professional haulier, should before being able to ply for carrying the goods of third parties, establish that he has the knowledge and the resources to pursue such work in a responsible way.
FORWARD-LOOKING ideas for improving London's road systems were offered at the second British Road Federation symposium in London, on Tuesday.
"Goodbye to the motor car in the city" was the text of Mr. Leslie Lane's paper. Vehicles should be adapted to the characteristics of cities, and not vice versa, he said.
In what he called "Controlled vehicle zones", Mr. Lane, who is director of the Civic Trust, envisaged that London could become a "Disneyland" where people travelled in specially designed trains and purpose-built vehicles, with their cars safely parked outside central London.
The symposium was opened by Mr. Desmond Plummer, Leader of the GLC, who outlined the GLC's plan for London's primary road system (CM, last week).
Lord Redrnayne and Mr. William Deedes, MP, then described London's regional road network, and showed, with the aid of a map, how the fast-growing new towns were forming "corridors" of commuters.
Chairman of the Land Commission, Sir Henry Wells, backing a roads board, thought road policies should be taken out of the hands of politicians so that a permanent, unchanging pattern of road responsibility would result.
Mr. A. C. Dune, BRF vice-chairman, speaking on road finance, followed Sir Henry's argument for a roads board (as did other speakers and several delegates), but wanted to see a national highways corporation, similar to Japan's. As to making roads financially viable, he said: "I am no longer convinced that tolls cannot play a part in road finance today."