Fowler puts forward c)ster economy pack
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IGHT CHECKS, closer scrutiny of motorway-bound lorries, wd brighter Operator licences are on the way now that ansport Minister Norman Fowler has agreed to a limited iplementation of the 19-month-old Foster Committee report w 0-licensing.
It is an economy package hich takes account of cash nits on the Civil Service, and e industry will have to wait for r Arthur Armitage's report on rries, people, and the environent before some of the more )nificant of Foster's 91 recomendations are considered.
In the present economic mate, Mr Fowler says Traffic .ea offices cannot have their affs increased significantly, Jt there are some areas, such night checks, where existing aff could be deployed more ofitably.
He has acknowledged that ere are difficulties in making ,ecks on lorries at weekends or fernight — including road fety problems — but says that ey can be overcome, and will on be a regular feature within ailable resources.
Mr Fowler has rejected otorway checks as impractiI, but has called instead for ore vigilance on vehicles on ads to and from motorways. us reflects Foster's remark at lorries are less likely to be rutinised on motorways or her high speed roads.
0-licence discs will be made ore conspicuous in order to :lease enforcement, and the ;partment of Transport says it "well advancedwith plans r a better-quality coloured disc th fade-resistant ink.
Mr Fowler is to seek an iendment to the Regulations require newly acquired hides to display discs. At prent, they have one month's .way. He also wants trailer antification to be improved.
A DTp feasibility study has rrie out in favour of comiterising 0-licence records, id this could be put into, operation, with police backing, if it fits in with broader DTp and traffic area requirements. Joint police /traffic examinter patrols will continue where required.
Greater efforts have been made to ensure that Licensing Authorities are informed when a company passes into receivership or an individual is declared bankrupt, and this is being suppoerted by the Minister along with a continued flow of police information.
There will be ni immediate change to the Certificate of Professional Competence examina tions. Mr Fowler feels these have improved since Foster cast doubts upon their effectiveness, and hea has rejected an oral examination as he does not believe it would benefit candidates.
The Road Haulage Association's initial reaction this week was to welcome Mr Fowler's proposals as far as they go, but it is ungappy that nothing is being done to make entry or exit from the industry a much tougher procedure.
For the Freight Transport Association, David Green told CM that he was generally happy with Mr Fowler's plans, provided that practical difficulties with night checks and 0licences for new vehicles can be surmounted.