hices prediction naive' says RHA
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UCE Commission predictions that the chograph will save money have been ,lled into doubt by the Road Haulage isociation in its response to the Cornission's report on the road haulage clustry.
It says that the Commission's conieration of tachograph costs extended ily to their installation and calibration. t makes no observations on the fact at if the fitting of tachographs were ade compulsory the trade unions ould claim substantial increases in ages in consideration of their use."
It is also critical of the fact that the overnment seems to want industry, ither than politicians, to settle the. tchograph problem.
"The Government, which has the ower and, in fact, under EEC legislaon, the duty, to ensure the use of tehographs, has given no clear indicaon of its eventual policy on this sub?..ct. It appears vainly to hope that the vvo sides of industry will reach agreelent on its eventual policy on this sub mission's suggestions for increased efficiency are based on naive assumptions, and mentions, for instance, that increased back-load work could be hampered by awkward traffic conditions in areas from which the extra loads come.
It doubts whether double-shifting or seven-day working will reap the benefits seen for it by the Price Commission, saying that driver reluctance alone would be a disadvantage.
RHA estimates that Sunday working would increase running costs by seven per cent, and adds that recent moves by local authorities to ban weekend goods movements would make the exercise impossible anyway.
Route rescheduling is an area in which RHA sees less scope for gains than the Commission does. "The official policy of the trade unions on this subject is firmly established and there is little or no prospect of employers negotiating, except perhaps at an unacceptably high cost, revisions of the schedules applying to various classes of roads."