Hauliers angry at new Covent Garden L1-a-visit surcharge
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HAULIERS delivering to Covent Garden Market are resentful and angry that they will be charged a El entry fee when the market is moved to Nine Elms in October.
Delegates attending last weekend's second RHA National Conference of Agricultural and Livestock Operators at Droitwich Spa criticized the Market Authority. They said that while they realized the charge would be necessary to help finance the new market, it should not be imposed on them. They would have to pass this charge on to their customers -farmers and market gardeners — whose profit margins were already extremely slim. The charge should, they claimed, be imposed on the middle man, the market trader, who could well afford to pay up to £1 per load.
The attack followed an address on "Transport requirements of markets", by Mr C. Allen, general manager of the Covent Garden Market Authority. He told delegates that relocating the market, which was first considered 100 years ago, would greatly benefit all concerned, particularly haulage contractors.
While the site at Nine Elms was far from ideal, said Mr Allen, its transport facilities would be far more streamlined than Covent Garden. The new market would cover a 70-acre site, divided into a 40-acre fruit and vegetable section and a smaller flower market section. In all there would be seven entry booths, all of which would be fully manned at peak periods.
Although the entry tariff would be accepted in cash, tickets and season tickets would also be available. To ensure that none of these systems was misused they would be controlled electronically. Charges would vary depending on the size of the vehicle; 20p small vehicles, 40p on medium vehicles and £1 on articulated units.
Mr Allen said that eight years ago the Market Authority took what then seemed "a brave decision and designed the market for 50ft vehicles". At that time the longest vehicles were about 40 ft, and this was thought to be a "daring move". Now that decision had been amply justified by the result.
Unloading facilities had also been given much consideration. Warehouses with 24ft clear headroom had been incorporated in the design to give maximum storage space and encourage the use of pallets. There would be 400 fork-lift trucks in use on the first day. The main fruit and vegetable hall had been divided into varying sizes of traders' units, each comprising a sales and display area, storage area and rearentry loading bay. Awnings above the loading bay had been built to afford plenty of headroom to even the largest unit, and because transport needs had been given such consideration when designing the complex it would be possible for a driver to arrive, unload and depart within half an hour.
Security, including a closed circuit TV system and a body of security officers, would be another improved service at Nine Elms. It would be possible for a driver to leave his vehicle unattended overnight or for even longer periods.
Mr Jack Garn (Machins Transport (Surfleet) Ltd, East Midlands) asked Mr Allen who would provide the pallets at Nine Elms. Mr Allen replied that there would have to be a proper pooling system for these between the customers and the traders; a central pallet pool and a "take back" method.
Mr S. G. Harvey (Harvey Bros (Transport) Ltd, East Midlands) said that as a drivers' hostel was to be constructed only if and when it was felt there was demand, an area should be reserved for this purpose. The speaker said that 51/2 acres of land had been set aside and that if the demand proved sufficient the hostel would be constructed.
The chairman of the agricultural group, Mr George Pell (G. W. Pell (Kirton) Ltd, East Midlands) was the first delegate to criticize the proposed tariff entry system. He said: "Hauliers have been losing money in the past because of long turn-round times -now they are going to have to pay for not losing money."
Mr Harvey took up the argument, saying: "There should be a charge by the hour to the stallholders. This would make sure that the turn-round is short." Mr Allen replied that that type of method had been considered too difficult to put into practice.
On the same subject Mr J. Hempsall (Hempsall Transport Ltd, East Midlands) pointed out that entrance booths staff would probably receive a wage of about £40 a week; and if this was not paid and the staff not employed then it would not be necessary to charge the hauliers as much.
Mr Garn asked Mr Allen if other markets might follow Nine Elms' lead and also introduce entry charges and was told that it was already a commonly accepted practice in Europe and America.
Answering suggestions that the Authority was taking the entry fee from the "wrong party", Mr Allen said: "We only have two sources of revenue; rent and charges. What we don't make ow one we have to make on the other." It was felt that rents should not be unduly high; they should be in keeping with today's prices.
Said Mr Pell: "It rather sounds like a political reason — keep the rent low and pass it on to the haulier."
Another important topic to be raised was whether the complex would include a weighbridge. Mr Allen said that although there was no provision for weighbridge inside the actual marke there was a lay-by just off the acces road where one could be installed.
With Britain's entry into the EEC th Road Haulage Association was no involved in transport issues on both national and international level, an would strive as an Association to ensur at its members were represented in all ital matters at both these levels. This ,as the message from Mr G. K. lewman, director-general of the RHA, ontained in his paper. "The :presentational role of the RHA".
Nevertheless the RHA still came in )1' some barbed comments. Mr H. J. 'oster (H. J. Foster and Wilson Ltd, Vest Midlands) said of Mr Newman's aper: "It is very difficult to ask uestions on a speech that has been repared by a lawyer. It seems to have een written so that no questions would e asked." He likened the RHA to a iraffe — its head, its London headuarters, was too far away from its ody, the grass root members, and these iembers felt the RHA was doing othing for them individually.
Mr Newman disagreed. The various reas, he said, kept the Association's iembers up to date on any specific roblems or matters. "Where it is ossible to reconcile the many different rid opposing views expressed in many ises on many matters then the policy is iken up and pursued. Many members Lke the view that if they cannot get their wn particular way then the Associaon is wrong."
Also defending the Association, Mr . I. Cooper (Coopers Road Services td, West Midlands) commented: Flow much are we doing for the ssociation? You will find the people ho do most criticizing are the people ho do less."
Mr Foster asked: "Is there any way of :tting over to the members what is :ing done for them?"
One of the difficulties, said Mr ewman, was a lack of interest by :rtain members. Some area meetings ere poorly attended.
Mr W. A. Cross (East Midlands) said at some time ago he attended an area ieeting in Nottingham and asked the Len chairman, Mr John Wells a queson regarding licences. He said that he as told by Mr Wells that when 0 :ensing was introduced the F licence ould be scrapped and the situation Luch improved. As it turned out, he Lid, the situation regarding farmers' :hides was much worse; adding that he It the Association only wanted embers' money and was then not terested.
Mr Garn said that at one meeting it d been decided to refuse a haulier embership because of what the other embers considered unethical practice.
e haulier then applied direct to the ndon hq and was granted member'p.
Mr Newman explained that before using an applicant's membership ere had to be firm evidence to support the decision. Under the Indstrial Relations Act the Association could not legally refuse membership to an operator unless there was the strongest evidence.
Mr T. Taylor (G. Kime and Son Ltd, East Midlands) said the Association had given much valuable assistance when his company had been involved in a magistrates' court case, and because of this the outcome had been satisfactory.
Road blocks
"Badly maintained and congested rural roads are threatening to bring farming in some areas to a grinding halt." This warning was given by Mr J. Cossins, vice-president of the National Farmers' Union, in his address " Heavy lorries on rural roads". The situation had deteriorated even since last year.
"The need is for properly constructed main roads with adequate rural roads for deliveries and collections to farms. Dairy farmers in particular must have access for the daily milk collection," he said.
Mr Cossins said his farm had approximately 600 tons delivered every year, plus an additional 10 loads in the form of building materials, gravel, and concrete posts, and heavy goods vehicles were relied upon to take away some 2,400-2,500 tons of produce every year.
Fortunately, he said, many of the larger farms were becoming extremely mechanized. Fork-lift trucks were now being used increasingly.
In order to help the farmer, haulage operators should, whenever possible, plan their deliveries in advance. Besides being of assistance to the farmer it also meant that the farmer could arrange to have some of his staff ready to help the driver unload.
The use of articulated trailers in agricultural haulage could possibly be a good idea. The trailers, one of which could be purchased by the farmer in conjunction with a long-term haulage contract, could be left on farms as a short-term store, and would be ready for immediate use.
Questioning Mr Cossins on his paper Mr A. L. Hopkinson (A. L. and E. Hopkinson, South Yorkshire) asked if it would be possible for the NFU to promote mechanization, the improvement of access roads, and the provision of wider gates. Mr Cossins replied that this was already taking place.
Mr Hempsall asked to what degree it was felt that drivers should be expected to unload or help unload their vehicle. While it was sometimes necessary for drivers to help, said the speaker, he lilt that this should only take place in certain cases — when a lorry arrived unexpectedly or late, or when a farm's work force was depleted.
Mr W. A. Glendinning (W. A. Glendinning Ltd, Northern area) said that farmers who were provided with snowploughs to keep public roads clear in winter tended to give their own farm road priority; he suggested that snow clearance should be left to haulage contractors.
Mr Garn referred to plans to restrict the movement of heavy goods vehicles on certain roads.... "I would like the NFU and RHA to forget these restrictions," he said.
The relatively small number of animals that died in transit suggested that British methods of transporting livestock were as good as anywhere else in the world, said Mr G. Taylor, chief veterinary officer of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Foods. Mr Taylor was speaking on the "Transit and welfare of animals."
Mr Taylor said it was very rare now for prosecutions to be taken in relation to the transport of animals, although regrettably there were still some.
The Ministry itself, he went on, had been doing a lot of research into the transport of animals by road.
"I think it is true to say animals travel better than people give them credit for.
If conditions are right and I mean that all conditions are right for the animals' welfare animals very quickly settle down and apparently take little interest in the actual movement," he said.
Few problems
"I don't think that we really have many problems in this country with regard to ventilation and air space. From time to time we have casualties, mainly among pigs, although the number reported to us is small. Usually we think this is the result of stress, probably associated with fighting or some other stimulation. While one would like ideally to see post-mortems carried out on all the animals which die in transport, this is obviously impossible".
Mr Taylor told delegates he did not envisage much change in the pattern of the transport of animals in the future.
Mr B. J. Carpenter (West Midlands) raised the point that it was an EEC requirement to fully clean cattle vehicles before bringing them back into Britain. But facilities were not always available on the Continent.
Mr George Martin (G. W. Martin (Braintree) Eastern area) said similar problems had been encountered at Southampton docks.