A 10,000-vehicle challenge foreseen by NAFWR
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• Goods vehicles with an unladen weight not exceeding 30cwt (and therefore outside the new licensing proposals) could constitute a major threat to the future of the removal industry. This is one of the principal complaints of the National Association of Furniture Warehousemen and Removers about the proposals contained in the Transport Bill—the Association's recommendations were briefly summarized in CM last week.
Included in the protest which the NAFVVR made to the Minister of Transport last week was its objection to the maior anomaly which would be created by this 30cwt licensing demarcation. Bona fide removers would be subject to stringent regulations while other operators competing very often for exactly the same sort of traffic would have to obey comparatively few rules with little to lose by breaking them.
Discounting the Minister's contention that the undar-30cwt exemption applied to only a small proportion for "hire or reward", the NAFVVR points out that this small proportio is, in fact. over 10,000 vehicles compare with about 5,000 vehicles operated NAFVVR members.
Therefore an unlimited number of light var could cause chaos in the furniture remov trade in a way that would put up costs ar reduce the quality of service.
Already many smaller removals consiste of no more than 400/500 Cu. ft. when a 30cv van would be feasible for local deliver NAFVVR members were already receivir circulars from vehicle manufacturers offerir such vehicles for sale and there were a numb' of ingenious schemes for ensuring that tht would, in future, not exceed the 30cwt limi Therefore, as reported last week, the NAFW was calling for the inclusion of all vehicles 30cwt and below operating for hire and ri ward to be brought within the scope 4 "operator's licensing" and new propose drivers' hours regulations.