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Minister snakes last-minute dash en...

23rd September 1977
Page 9
Page 9, 23rd September 1977 — Minister snakes last-minute dash en...
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

EIGHT -HOUR DRIVING DAY

TRANSPORT Minister William Rodgers is to make a last-ditch effort to tone down the EEC eight-hour driving day Regulations (543/69) that will come into effect on January 1, 1978.

Mr Rodgers is to go to Brussels on September 30 to meet EEC Transport Commissioner Richard Burke and Belgian Transport Minister Jos Chobert for a frank talk aimed at getting his package through.

Mr Rodgers wants the EEC to agree to a phased introduction of the eight-hour day. For the first 18 months, it would be a 10-hour day, followed by 18 months of a nine-hour day, after which we would accept the eight-hour driving day.

The highly controversial issue has ajready been rejected by the European Council of Transport Ministers, but Mr Rodgers is expected to be doing some tough bargaining with other Ministers over changes in the Regulation that they want.

But the British operator still could be left with only 10 days between a decision being made and the rules coming.

• into effect.

The Council of Ministers is due to meet on October 27, but the French delegation has let it be known that it may not be able to attend, which would mean it could be as late as December 21 before the decision on the compromise is known.

The changes that Mr Rodgers wants passed include non-observance of the 450km (281 mile) max. distance rule. He also wants a weekly driving time of 60 hours (a reduction of 10 hours for passenger vehicles); fortnightly driving time of 118 hours (a reduction of 12 hours for passenger vehicles and two hours for goods vehicles) with continuous driving time limited to 5.5 hours.

Mr Rodgers is prepared to allow the full implementation of the rules on rest periods for drivers of goods vehicles. For passenger vehicle drivers he wants nine-hour rest periods or 10 hours with three eight and a half-hour days in the working week.

He is also proposing that the week should be a rolling week of any seven days and not the fixed week of Sunday to Sunday as at present.

Reaction from the industry to the news of the introduction of the regulation has been mixed. A Road Haulage Association spokesman comment ed: "We welcome any moves to get the impact of the rules minimised."

The Freight Transport Association said: "We are not exactly enamoured of the rules — they will cause a large amount of disruption through the uncertainty — we are not too happy about it."

On the passenger side, a Confederation spokesman said the view was that Mr Rodgers was doing his best to. get the rules toned down. But CPT president John Birch said: "Deferment is no more than a stay of execution — it is vital. that the regulation should be relaxed."


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