"Customs Lethargy Causes Dock Delays," Says Hauliers' Chief
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LORRIES could be away from the docks in the time it took to get the ;oods loaded if Customs lethargy could 3e overcome, said Mr. J. B. Mitchell, National Chairman of the Road Haulage kssociatiort, speaking at the annual limier of the Yorkshire (West Riding) krea at Ilkley last Friday.
Mr. Mitchell was referring to the tppointment of the Rochdale Committee o inquire into dock delays. They had t variety of causes, he said, but it must le remembered that most docks were riginally designed for railways, and • ailway methods still largely governed 'on operations despite the fact that the mlance, in terms of traffic, had shifted o road transport.
An example was provided by the resent Customs arrangements—examnation of goods shipped or discharged :ould be made much more quickly, but heir methods were still tied to the idea that only the wagons were loaded, the motive power not arriving until later in the day or even the week.
If this lethargy could be overcome there would be an enormous saving to trade and industry and the docks would be able to handle far more vehicles.
DRIVING LICENCE CHANGES FOR ELECTRICS ?
CHANGES may be made in the scope of driving licences issued for electrically propelled vehicles. This was hinted at last week by Lord Chesham, Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport, when he said that the Minister was now carrying out a review of the 1950 regulations governing driving licences. The Minister would consider carefully whether any change should be made in respect of electrically propelled vehicle licences.