Back to the drawing board
Page 7
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In the August 8 issue of CM we wrote that Dr Gilbert should not be too surprised if his attempts to defer the introduction of shorter driving hours and tachographs met with an almighty snub from our EEC partners. The snub delivered by the Commission last week may not have been almighty, and may not represent the views of all our fellow members (at least two of whom are also asking for deferment) but it slams the ball back into the British court and leaves the DoE searching for a more acceptable formula to achieve its ends.
More to the point, it leaves operators—who have suffered a plethora of advice from all sides—totally unsure about what to do now. They can try to make contingency plans, but the signs in Brussels are that the Commission may decide to use transport as the issue on which to force Britain's acquiescence to the rule of the treaty. If that happens, the Government will have to decide whether to prolong the already tiresome cliffhanger and risk humiliation at the European Courts or turn and face the displeasure of employers and unions at home. A satisfactory compromise now looks very difficult to achieve.