Licensing a Restrictive Trade Practice
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TiE road haulage licensing system is nothing more or less than a statutory :strictive trade practice. Operating, as manifestly does, against the public iterest, it should be abolished, as most ther restrictive trade practices in this euntry have been abolished," declared 1r. Patrick Jenkin, Bow Group member rid prospective Conservative candidate )r East Enfield, in an address to the lumberside Section of the Institute of 'ransport on Tuesday.
Mr. Jenkin argued that heavy Acensed vehicles were much more intenvely used and had a much higher load ictor than did similar contract Aand Mieensed vehicles,
"Yet the number of A general vehicles ver 3 tons unladen weight has hardly ioved in recent years," he said, "while le less economic heavy contract A and -licence vehicles have increased by over• o per cent in four years." The staggering ifference in growth rate should be ausing the general haulage trade serious oncern, he said.
The primary cause was undoubtedle le licensing system which was forcing Dad haulage into an increasingly neconomie strait jacket. "The really ernicious feature of the system is that ompetitors can, in effect, prevent a new tan from setting up in the haulage business or an established haulier from expanding his fleet," said Mr. Jenkin.
The hauliers might be well advised to press for an end to the restrictive features of licensing now, he went on, so that road/rail competition for goods could be based on cost and service and not on arbitrary decisions by administrative tribunals.
During the lively discussion which followed, Mr. P. Pieroni, a transport manager and lecturer to students for the Institute's examinations, said that he agreed with every word Mr. Jenkin had spoken. There was no doubt that the licensing system was preventing the public hauliers (who were too complacent) from providing the service required by traders. The growth in C-licensed vehicles was mainly due to the poor service offered by the haulage trade.