Observations on the
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Royal Commission's Final Report
The Concluding Instalment, with a Number of InterestingExtracts from the Various Contributions THE Long Distance Road Haulage Association suggests that the activities of the Ministry of Transport and . highway authorities should he concentrated on the following points, which are placed in their order of importance :—Strengthening of weak bridges ; improvement of road junctions ; reconstruction of many existing roads ; widening of roads ; construction of by-pass roads ; freeing of toll roads and bridges ; progressive construction of builtup areas. It strongly recommends the immediate abolition of all private ownership of bridges.
It is entirely in favour of road transport bearing its fair share of road upkeep, but is opposed to any form of taxation made purely for the purpose of revenue, as a tax on transport is a direct tax on industry.
The L.D.R.H.A. and the Licensing of Hauliers.
The Association approves the suggestion for issuing licences to road hauliers, the points to be considered being wages and conditions of service of employees, fitness of vehicles, and the suitability of the applicant, whether individual or corporation, so as to restrict the entry of unsuitable members or firms. Having before it the working of the systein of licensing with regard to passenger vehicles, the Association strongly recommends that no grounds other than those stated should be allowed to influence the decision regarding the issue of a haulier's licence, and no consideration other than mechanical fitness should debar the granting of certificate of fitness for vehicles.
It regrets that the Royal Commission did not make any specific recommendation upon the subject of clearing houses. A number of these is giving excellent service, catering for shippers and providing traffic for vehicle owners, but so long as it is possible for any person of extremely limited resources to set up business as a clearing house, a certain element will exploit the owner-driver and small operator to the detriment of the transport trades. Clearing houses should be licensed as to their resources and knowledge.
It is the considered opinion of the Association that, in road transport, there is much which encourages individual effort within comparatively limited spheres, and anything approaching nationalization, or the merging of all existing road-transport agencies into a huge combine would necessarily sacrifice a great deal of its gocid, without gaining any compenSating feature. It feels that it would be preferable to set up an advisory committee within the Ministry of Transport rather than to appoint a permanent council.
The Diversion of Heavy Goods Traffic.
The National Road Transport Employers' Federation said that the statement regarding the competition between road and rail, and the opinion of the Commissioners that it is not in the national interests to encourage the further diversion of heavy goods traffic from the rail to the road, is challenged as untrue. Traffic should be allowed to develop through natural channels, and as pneumatic tyres are becoming universal less stress is being put upon the road surfaces.
It is pointed out that the station-to-station rates are inflated above necessary economic figures by losses made by cartage, docks and steamship operations. It has been admitted that the whole of the railways' expenses in respect of collection and delivery services were over L7,000,000, and the receipts under £4,000,000.
It is the fundamental basis of railway trading that the road-traffic rates charged by the railways are such that, even under the most favourable conditions, the services must be conducted at a loss, and any private haulier who attempted to employ them would be courting bankruptcy.
The Federation objects to the recommendation that a duty of £120 is reasonable on motor vehicles with an unladen weight up to 10 tons. Users pay heavily by petrol tax, and the suggestion that vehicles with an unladen weight of over 4 tons should be discouraged by excessive duty would result in bad legislation and encourage the greater use of lighter vehicles of foreign manufacture, whilst adding to congestion.
The Federation recommends a licensing system for road hauliers, but only a nominal charge should be made for a licence. Persons or firms undertaking occasional return loads should not receive licences as hauliers; £1 should be sufficient to cover all expenses, and not £1. per vehicle. The licence should apply to the firm, not to the machine, but if vehicle licensing were adopted a registration fee of 5s. should be sufficient. The licence should not he transferable and not be annual, and the conditions for its issue should be that the applicant satisfies the Commissioners that he is a bonafide haulier, that the vehicle is fit and that the applicant will conform to the agreements for wages and conditions of service of the local committee, these to have statutory force. The fair wages clause, where adopted, has had unsatisfactory results and is not sufficient to meet the case. ,
C.M.U.A. and Bridge-strengthening Proposals.
The Commercial Motor Users Association supports the recommendation that a special programme for the strengthening of weak bridges should be formulated and should provide for the work to be done at the rate of not less than 1,000 bridges per year, special sums from the Road Fund to be set aside for the purpose.
It is opposed to the recommendation that the use of vehicles weighing over 4 tons unladen should be discouraged, or that the duty payable on these should be increased.
The Association is opposed to the recommendation that road hauliers should be placed under a system of licensing to be administered by the Area Traffic Commissioners, also that it shall not be lawful for any haulier to engage in the business unless and until he be licensed. It opposes a permanent advisory council on transport, and recommends that the present practice, whereby the Minister consults the representative organizations from time to time, should be continued.
The Furniture-removal Industry's Views.
In the view of the Furniture Warehousemen and Removers Association the practice of retaining for general revenue purposes one-third of the duty paid in respect of motorcars and motorcycles should be discontinued.
The furniture-removal industry would regret any increase In taxation in respect of a motor vehicle with trailer which, together, would not be capable of carrying more than 6 tons, or a six-wheeler or eight-wheeler not carrying more than
6 tons. With virit reference to regulation 54 of the Motor Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations, there are many steeltyred pantechnicons drawn by tractors instead of horses, for which they were originally designed, and the wheels of which could not economically be converted to soft tyres. It is hoped that the concession made by the Minister of Transport will not be affected by the recommendation of the Royal Commission. With reference to the licensing of road hauliers, if the only considerations be (a) the fitness of the vehicle, (b) wages and conditions of service, and the cost does not exceed £1 per vehicle, it is the Association's view that it would be of advantage to introduce a system of licensing which would eliminate unfair competition from those whose wages and general conditions leave much to be desired.
The Transport and General Workers' Union is not prepared to accept the view that the taxation of motor vehicles is equitable, particularly as -additional heavy taxation has been imposed. There is too great a tendency to call from this class of transport an ever-increasing contribution to the Exchequer. The primary consideration must be that of the cost of highway upkeep.