AT THE HEART OF THE ROAD TRANSPORT INDUSTRY.

Call our Sales Team on 0208 912 2120

SECURICOR'S BRAVE. VENTURE By John Darker

26th November 1965
Page 22
Page 22, 26th November 1965 — SECURICOR'S BRAVE. VENTURE By John Darker
Close
Noticed an error?
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.

Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

Keywords : Securicor

THE plan of Securicor Ltd. to provide I a nation-wide service to road hauliers, introduced under the code name HELP —Haulage Emergency Link Protection— (The Commercial Motor, last week) is an important development with many implications. By "getting in first ", Securicor has demonstrated once again that the managerial skill which has enabled it to build up over the past five years a fleet of some 1,000 vehicles, with more than 80 control centres, does not intend to rest on its laurels.

The resources of the Pye Telecommunications organization, with unrivalled " know-how " in the mobile radio field, and equal determination to expand the use of mobile radio telephone equipment in this and other countries will powerfully reinforce the Securicor initiative.

There are some gaps, I gather, in radio coverage which for technical reasons is normally confined to 25 miles radius from transmitters, but Pye already operate 40 service stations and will no doubt fill in transmission gaps as the demand makes itself felt. On such runs as London/ Manchester, for example, coverage is already virtually complete.

The capacity of the Securicor organization (whose parent company is Associated Hotels) to improve the catering and accommodation facilities available to drivers can scarcely be doubted, although the Press conference at which HELP was launched left the details a little vague.

One believes that in the first instance the assistance proferred will be of an advisory nature. In the same way, Securicor does not aim to provide its own lorry parks, preferring to approve the security arrangements of existing parks, but if the facilities available are clearly inadequate, Securicor will consider setting up its own parks.

The 24-hour radio watch available throughout Britain's trunk routes clearly will interest hauliers moving dangerous or costly loads, and insurers, among others, will welcome this facility.

As regards return loads I believe that Securicor is not unmindful of the technical aspects involved, and, useful though its message handling service will be, I suspect that the need to recruit or train experienced traffic controllers has not escaped the company.

One point emerged very clearly at the Press conference. In no circumstances will HELP be used to report on drivers' behaviour; indeed, it was stated categorically that any Securicor employee

who acted in this way would be summarily dismissed.

Though many hauliers might feel that the cost of the service—£2 to £3 per week, plus a small installation charge, is too expensive, Securicor believes that an increasing number of users will find the service a profitable investment. It is the aggregation of small benefits that makes users of mobile radio, both drivers and operators, so convinced of its worthwhileness.

"Too expensive" was the verdict of some hauliers last week when they discussed the Securicor scheme. Members of York sub-area of the RHA—which has 180 members owning 1,200 vehicles— talked over the idea at their monthly meeting last week. The sub-area secretary, Mr. J. H. Tait, said afterwards that HELP was a wonderful idea but general hauliers present thought that the £100 per vehicle p.a. of the proposed emergency system was prohibitive, and general traffic could not bear the load.

But where high-value traffic such as tobacco or spirits was carried, or where insurers could offer reduced terms, the scheme would be a valuable asset for hauliers.

Tags

Locations: Manchester, York, London

comments powered by Disqus