Compulsory Goods-vehicle Tests Urged
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FROM OUR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT
COMPULSORY six-year tests for all goods vehicles are to be urged upon the Government in the House of Lords next Tuesday by Lord Shepherd, who is understood to be disturbed about the current situation where cars are tested annually after six years, but goods vehicles over 30 cwt. are only liable to spot checks.
He will say that recent increases in the goods speed limits alone justify the need for regular examinations; on top of that, he will claim that the figures show that even the amount of spot-checking is decreasing.
Out of nearly 1,500,000 bigger goods vehicles on the roads, only 110,563 were inspected in 1961. This was less than in 1960, when 113,000 were inspected. As the number of vehicles is increasing, both the numbers and percentage being tested is going down. More important, a high precentage of the few being tested were found defective, Lord Shepherd will claim.
Of the 110,563 goods vehicles examined by the roadside in 1961, 31,500 needed repairs-9,000 of them so badly that they were not allowed to proceed until the work was done.
This percentage is more or less in line with the percentages of private cars and light vans failing the roadworthiness tests. But the situation is made worse by the fact that lorries probably cover in 24--3 years the mileage that the average ellcovers in its first six years of test-free running.
Lord Shepherd will point out strongly that to increase goods speed limits without making much stronger provision for testing is folly. The issue will be debated, and a Government .reply is likely from Lord Chesham, the. Parliamentary Secretary for Transport.
T.R.T.A. Year Book THE new 128-page C Licence Year Book, 1963, compiled by the Traders Road Transport Association, has now been published. It is aimed at those running company fleets and covered in the publication are drivers' records, wages, hours, vehicle costing, constructional requirements. rules of loading and unloading, selecting the right vehicle and operating vehicles abroad.