0-licence plans shelved
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• Department of Transport proposals to change the 0licence regulation's environmental provisions (Commercial Motor, Dec 13) have been put on ice.
Head of policy for the Roadfreight Division at the Department of Transport, Tony Arman, says the nature of the recommendations means that primary legislation would be needed to implement them and at the moment no one is sure when the legislative opportunity will present itself.
The proposals attracted a great deal of criticism when they were first published. Freight Transport Association director-general Garry Turvey slammed them as "negative and petty", while the Road Haulage Association called the ideas "worrying".
Arman does not know whether the delay in getting the proposals on to the statute book will be shortor longterm. "We have to make bids for legislative time in Par
liament like other Departments," says Arman, "but with an election in the air this year the legislative programme is somewhat in the balance.
"When we know there is some real prospect of legislation coming forward we will flesh out the recommendation and go back for further consultation with interested parties."