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Anarchy and Chaos.

27th April 1962, Page 66
27th April 1962
Page 66
Page 66, 27th April 1962 — Anarchy and Chaos.
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

These Would Be The Results if The Exponents of Total Licensing Abolition Were To Have Their Way

By Arthur R. Wilson

U/HILE there have been many calls TV for an inquiry into the goods vehicle licensing system, quite the most startling proposals put forward suggested its total abolition and a consequent return to the free-for-all days of pre1933.

If the exponents of total abolition had had any practical experience of conditions existing before 1933 and aligned them with the present-day position when over a million more goods vehicles are on the road, they might have wanted to modify their views. If implemented in full, there is little doubt that anarchy and chaos would result in the Country's internal transport. It cannot be denied that the hard core of the railways and professional road haulage is a national asset which will always be preserved, maybe in varied form, by any Government, no matter what their political character. To succeed, sonic measure of restriction will always be necessary, despite the smear of a closed shop, while at the same time the trader must be allowed freedom to run his own transport if he so wishes.

Heavy Burden This does not mean that part of the. fringe of road haulage could not be cut away and restored to freedom without harm to anyone and with benefit to many. There is every evidence that licensing today, with the ever-increasing number of goods vehicles, is placing a heavy burden on the Licensing Authorities and their staffs. Some of the load could be lightened, even if it amounted mainly to deleting the need to issue licences and eliminating a large quantity of paper work in the keeping of records. This could be done by removing shackles entirely from all goods vehicles up to 12 cwt., and possibly up to one ton unladen, and taking them out of the orbit of the Ministry of Transport altogether.

The two types are chiefly car derivates and could not be termed serious competitors, unless in the aggregate, to either the railways or road hauliers. At the end of December, 1960, there were 57,375 vehicles in the not over 12-cwt. class, of which 384, or less than 0.8 per cent., were licensed for hire and reward. In the 12-cwt. to 1-ton class there were 506,384 vehicles, of which 5.187, or one per cent., were plying for hire and reward. The majority of the reward vehicles are B-licensed. Some of the A's 1)16

are a throwback to the oddments of denationalization, and the number. of current A licences is half of what it was in 1954, while B licences have risen by only one quarter in the same period. The total of 563,759 vehicles in the two classes represents more than one-third of all licensed goods vehicles.

It is doubtful whether freedom would make any greater impact on hauliers than exists today by the usc of Contract A and C hiring allowance. The C licensee is the controlling factor here and it is quite feasible that vehicle contract hire, spreading from America, will find its greatest field of use in the small weight classes, to the near elimination of the haulier.

Not Load Carriers

The vehicles themselves, most of which are vans, could not be termed load carriers. They do not have the length or breadth, floor area, height (in the case of vans) or weight capacity to make an entry into haulage as such. Indeed, many cars and estate cars carry equally as big a load at times without the trouble of a carrier's licence. It is possible in the event of freedom that engineering design could step up platform area and load capacity. That trend could be halted, before we return to the days of "not over 3 tons unladen " and the associated troubles arising from skimping sections for lightness, by plating the vehicles on the present basis of gross laden weight.

There would be some loss of revenue. but not necessarily of profit, in the deletion of the carrier's licence. This could ‘)e added to the excise licence and include all small vehicles, such as dual-purpose mini-buses and estate cars, which might attempt work for reward. One important point might be the loss of control over roadworthiness. At present only onetenth of all goods vehicles are examined for mechanical fitness annually, which shows the magnitude of the Ministry's task. Vehicles up to 30 cwt. and over seven years old now require a certificate of fitness, and it appears to be the intention to lessen the seven-year

period until vehicles of all ages are included. As the period is progressively reduced, the standards of fitness will no doubt be stepped up to conform to that of the Ministry's vehicle examiners. In the interim the status quo could be maintained.

Scrap Records

Freedom would mean the end of need for records of drivers' hours of work in the two classes of vehicles concerned (a

start has already been made). Large numbers of drivers are owners who use their vehicles as a sideline adjunct to their business, and very often for pleasure purposes as well. No one has thought up a need for car drivers, nor yet chauffeurs, to keep a record of hours of work, although the two vehicle types are akin. Another large class are the drivers whose driving is entirety subsidiary to their. main employment, and where the hours of work are governed by trade agreements unconnected with driving. The likelihood of a driver being on the road past the point of fatigue through long hours is no greater than that of a car driver. That leaves a relatively small proportion of paid drivers whose sole occupation is driving. There could be a loophole here in isolated cases, with the driver a willing or unwilling victim. But surely this is within the scope and ability of the trade unions to contain, both in respect of hours of work and wages.

Maximum Road Capacity The maximum load capacity of the two vehicle classes ranges from 5 cwt. to about 12 cwt. If the one ton to oneand-a-half-ton class, where the maximum load is from 15 cwt. to 18 cwt., were also released from licensing it would scarcely cause more than a slight ripple on the haulage waves. Here again, nearly another 200,000 vehicles would be taken off the hooks of the licensing authorities. Under two and a half per cent. of this class are plying for hire and reward, while the rapid growth rate is confined to the C licensee. Released from the need of bookkeeping for so many small vehicles, the authorities would be able to concentrate their energy on the main objects of the 1933 Act, which was never envisaged as catering for the grand total of goods vehicles running today—a total which will inevitably continue to increase.

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Organisations: Ministry of Transport

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