Will C licensees. Enter Haulage?
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A SUGGESTION that transport tloperators and trade should get together to examine mutual problems, with particular reference to increased efficiency and economy, was made by Mr. M. F. Barnard, chairman of the Traders' Co-ordinating Committee on Transport, in a paper read before the Railway Students' Association in London, last week.
He pleaded, on behalf of industry, for transport to be kept out of politics, and asked whether those who had expanded their C licence fleets because of the uncertainty, of public road haulage could have an assurance from the political parties which would encourage the diminishing use of ancillary transport.
If this assurance were not given, shall we see a large number of vehicles previously operated by professional operators being taken up by traders who, by purchasing units and operating through separate companies, operate them for hire or reward as well as for their own business?" he asked.
With a guarantee of stability, many traders would consider meeting their expanding transport requirements by either ordinary road and rail contracts with the British Transport Commission or with private-enterprise hauliers, or by hiring vehicles under Contract A licences.
Earlier in the paper, Mr. Barnard suggested that unless the railways were relieved of unwanted or unremunerative facilities, and were able to effect substantial economies, they would find it difficult to compete successfully with other forms of transport.