Not so much an ogre, more an umpire
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That's how West Midlands LA Arthur Crabtree sees his role, and, as Alan Millar finds out, he's determined to see that the haulage game's played exactly to the rules
LICENSING AUTHORITIES like to feel they are as much part of the local transport industry as the operators whose lives they regulate, and West Midland LA Arthur Crabtree is no exception. He admires the esprit de carps which is a hallmark of the haulage and bus industries, and says with a smile: "I hope they look upon me more as an umpire than an ogre."
I am sure they do, just as they will respect the principles of this Yorkshireman who fulfilled a lifelong ambition to be a town clerk, yet gave up local government when, as he puts it, it was "disorganised" in 1974.
He worked as a solicitor at Walsall and Nuneaton, before giving ten years' service as town clerk at Nuneaton, and another ten at Cheltenham.
It all was spoilt, though, when functions were split into the present two-tier structure, and Arthur Crabtree was determined to have nothing to do with it. I suspect he might be provoked to utter unprintable epithets if pressed on the subject, and he preserved his principles by resigning from Cheltenham on the last day of the old system, March 31, 1974, and moving to his present quasi-judicial role the next day.
He has no regrets about making the move, and has the comparative luxury of having one of the most compact traffic areas to control. Birmingham is within easy travelling distance of most parts of the area and; apart from occasional sittings at Stoke-onTrent, he can do all his business from his Broad Street office in the city centre.
The job is all about maintaining standards, he says, and considers that the law has helped raise these standards over the years of his office. He considers that Operator licensing is a success story, and points to the ever-diminishing number of goods vehicle operators called before him under Section 69 of the 1968 Transport Act.
While the number of operators holding 0-licences in the area rose by 430 to 14,630 in the year to September 30, 1980, the number against whom action was taken dropped from 59 to 57. Of these, 31 were revoked (down from 39), eight were curtailed (up from seven), 13 were terminated prematurely (up from ten), and five were suspended (up from three).
In all, disciplinary action was considered in 92 cases, a drop of 12, 27 (up from 21) being given a warning, and eight (down from 24) having no action taken against them. Another 32 operators received warning letters following convictions or prohibitions.
"We are doing this for the industry," he told me, and added: "It is not in the interest of the industry to allow scallywags to get away with it."
He also is strongly in favour of the Certificate of Professional Competence, and says it is another means of raising the industry's standards. While he admits it will take a long time before it takes effect, he says that the exam itself is good and good for the industry as a whole.
Mr Crabtree believes that the tachograph will also help the industry, and describes it as a good instrument of management which also makes life easier for the driver. That is also finding increasing favour with the Transport and General Workers Union, especially in the West Midlands where traditional opposition is fading as fast as operators' memories of Alan Law, Indeed, hardware is an import a nt weapon in any LA's armoury, ancl,Mr Crabtree points with satisfaction to a 142 per cent increase in vehicles weighed in his area following the acquisition of three new dynamic axle weighers.
The number checked shot up from 2,467 in 1978/79 to 5,978 in 1 97 9/8 0, and the number overloaded rose from 523 to 805, on which 310 immediate and 60 delayed prohibitions were placed. Perhaps the rise in fines collected, from £26,536 to £43,645 illustrates the success as much as anything else.
Mr Crabtree is lucky not to have a port in his area, as his neighbouring colleagues in South Wales and the North-west would no doubt tell him, and the overloaded vehicles cover all classes of vehicle and operator.
He takes a strong view on the suitability of operating centres, but is equally adamant that environmental consideration are not his direct responsibility, but that of a local authority.
On the other hand, he says he has never found it difficult to reach a decision on the suitability of an operating centre, and quite definitely is not hamstrung by the Cash v McCall judgment.
In his view, an operating centre is where a vehicle is kept when not in use, and it must be suitable for that purpose. He cannot approve it if it is too small or if a local authority takes out an enforcement order, or if the operator does not have planning permission.
Nor can he approve it if use of that site is illegal, or if the operator intends to park his vehicles on the highway. "They must have premises, though they need not buy them," he adds.
Cash v McCall, in his view, should be taken as a case judged according to the facts. It is not of general application, and there is no reason why other operators' different circumstances should be looked at in precisely the same way.
Arthur Crabtree's praise the Armitage Report is consit able. He thinks it a sound dc ment nicely holding the bale between industry and the e, ronment, and he endorses Report's recommendations 1 heavy lorries should pay tl way, and that they should be proved so they don't dam the highway, create too m noise, emit excess smoke i fumes, or operate overloaded
Wearing his other hat, Chairman of the West Midla Traffic Commissioners, Mr Cr tree is presiding over the industry's metamorphosis fr quantity to quality licensing, i he is generally in favour of deregulatory powers contaii in the 1980 Transport Act.
"I have thought for some ti that an operator shouldn't a road service licence just to t a party to the Blackpool ligh he told me, and added that h glad to see that side of activi left to market forces. Already, has been notified about 49 r express services in the \A Midlands area.
In common with the No western, Western, and So Wales Traffic Commission' the West Midland Comm sioners opted to remove fa conditions from all stage-r riage sevices in the area it blanket move.
He insists they were necessarily more clever or m correct than the other ar which left it to operators to s removal of their fares; it 1, simply an administrative m sure which relieved the Comn sioners of a chore they no Ion consider necessary.
While the deregulate powers have captured most the attention so far, Mr Crabt feels that the extension Operator licensing to buses i coaches will mark the most portant change of the 1980 "It is a great step forward," told me.
He believes that the sw from psv licences on indivic vehicles to a blanket lice based on the performance of whole operation can only lea' better standards, and he convinced that 0-licensing is biggest lesson which haul can give the bus industry.