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linistry won't budge on lster tit-for-tat
Page 29
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H. BRIAN COTTEE and IAIN SHERRIFF
seems that British hauliers who intend making application for Road Freight !nces in Northern Ireland may as well their time. They will not be granted. July 15, COMMERCIAL MOTOR outthe procedure applicants should adopt: procedure still stands, but it is merely ds on paper, as the NI Development ■ artment made it clear to us this week any application is almost certain to efused.
be reason for this lies not in any sudden msigence by the Ulster authorities, but n apparently blank refusal by the Minisof Transport in London to countenance i a trial period of reciprocal grants, :th the folk across the water are only ready to apply generously. One must e that our Ministry are not bringing the e narrow. unenterprising attitude to negotiations over bilateral agreements European countries.
icensing in Northern Ireland in its new I became effective on July 1 and for e time before this discussions between Ministry of Transport and the Departt of Development had been taking place riooth the path of reciprocity. However, at this date there are still no reciproarrangements and the prospects look k.
. spokesman for the Road Haulage pciation told us this week that they did depart from the Ministry of Transport's • on the question of providing re,cipro [e made it clear that the Association had gone on record with any specific reasons his view; but it is reasonable to suppose the much freer system of licensing now
• ating in Ulster is regarded as unacceptto the RHA as a body, since the Jciation has been implacably opposed ieddes, and must see the NI position as ove towards looser control. If reciprooperated more or less automatically, ,tr hauliers would be in an easier posifor obtaining operating licences than a parable British operator, though the erman has to meet tougher vehicleiition rules.
ut behind all this one may also surmise the big ferry traffic operators—among m THC companies and some shipping .ps must be numbered—would naturally eluctant to see their grip on this traffic lengecl by new competition. It would not tnreasonable to suppose that they have sed their view upon the Ministry and, re applicable, on the RHA.
his supposition is perhaps strengthened by the fact that the Ministry advised COMMERCIAL MOTOR that "negotiations" were still proceeding. In fact, the Department of Development and the Ministry have been discussing this subject from time to time for almost 12 months, but the Ulster authorities say that negotiations proper have never begun. The position quite clearly is this: the system of licensing in Great Britain is one which the Ministry cannot or will not modify to meet the situation. Thus, any haulier from Northern Ireland wishing to operate in Great Britain will require to make the normal applications.
What is the situation in Northern Ireland? Mr. J. D. Irvine, senior assistant secretary to the Ministry of Development. provided the answer this week: "We are prepared to permit a British haulier to operate in Northern Ireland with the same facility as extended to our hauliers in Great Britain. The Ministry of Transport are unable to provide this facility, but we are still prepared to permit a British haulier operating on a Contract A licence to come into Northern Ireland".
The Department of Development and the Road Transport Association of Northern Ireland which is the equivalent of the RHA—have indicated that they would be happy to have a trial period of one year, operating reciprocal arrangements. To this the Ministry of Transport have again trotted out the answer that we have, and must abide by, our own licensing laws.