Increase in permit quotas
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A 20 PER CENT increase in permit quotas for international road transport in 1980 has been proposed by the EEC Commission and will be put to transport ministers at their next meeting, scheduled for December.
The permits which Brussels proposes to allocate each member country (with this year's figures in brackets) are as follows: UK 419 (355); West Germany 687 (567); France 625 (533); Italy 540 (432); Denmark 286 (229); Belgium 413 (348); Holland 597 (502); Ireland 76 (65) and Luxembourg 107 (91).
The number of extra permits is based partly on the use each country made of the permits issued last year.
In the past the Commission has asked for as much as a 100 per cent increase in quota — and settled for 15 per cent.
This year transport commissioner Richard Burke says the 20 per cent rise is reasonable and expects no horsetrading.
He hopes West Germany will be satisfied because of the proposals which the Commission is putting forward to boost EEC rail transport.
These plans, which are still at an early stage, foresee more integrated use of combined road and rail transport within Europe.
This week, Transport Minister Norman Fowler announced increases in the allocation of permits for traffic to Spain and Italy.
Extra journey permits to Italy available for the first time to hauliers new to the route — are being increased from 7,000 to 7,600, and for 1980 there is a 20 per cent increase to 8,500.
The additional 1979 permits are available to any operator with either French general quota or transit permits in hand, and some of these must be surrendered when they apply to the International Road Freight Office at Newcastleupon-Tyne, before August 10.
For Spain, the existing quota of 3,100 journey permits is being increased for 1980 to 3,500.