H.G.V. Licences in Abeyance A LTHOUGH, because of the shortage
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of examining staff, the Government have refused, for the time being, to reintroduce the test for heavy-goods-vehicle drivers, they clearly favour the idea. During the committee stage of the Road Traffic Bill in the House of Lords last week, Lord Burden sought to restore the test as from January 1 next.
His argument was that although the great majority of heavy-goods-vehicle drivers were among the best and most considerate on the roads, it was desirable to ensure that new recruits should be properly trained. Often, he said, employers were compelled to accept the only men available and had to entrust valuable vehicles to drivers whom they would not otherwise have engaged in their employment.
It is significant that the Government nominated the Lord Chancellor to reply to Lord Burden's motion and that he did so from a carefully prepared brief. He concurred in Lord Burden's praise for most heavy-vehicle drivers and quoted figures to substantiate his confidence.
In 1936, he said, the proportion of personal injury accidents to heavy goods vehicles was 11 per cent., but in 1953 it was only 7 per cent., although over that period the number of vehicles had risen from 62,700 to 101,500. In the Lord Chancellor's view, these figures showed that the problem of safety was not acute, but he undertook to explain to the Minister of Transport the importance which Lord Burden and his friends attached to the matter. He suggested that Lord Burden might in a few months' time put down a question on the subject. This is a clear indication that the Minister may then have some more favourable information to give.
Operators would welcome the restoration of the test, because although 75 per cent. of the drivers of heavy vehicles are superb, an independent survey has shown that the remainder falls far below the required standard. The minority comprises the men who float from job to job, damaging expensive vehicles and causing danger on the road. A certificate of competence, in the shape of a heavy-goods-vehicle driver's licence, would be of great value to employers and responsible drivers alike.