Wide-ranging Resolutions for IRU Congress
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By a Special Correspondent THE main item in the International Road Transport Union's biennial congresses is the discussion of a series of rather general resolutions put forward with an eye to international publicity. Next week's congress in Cannes is no exception, • the subjects covering a perennial call for greater weights and dimensions for goods vehicles (length of artics 15 m., road trains 18 m., singleaxle weight 13 tonnes, tandem-axle 20 t., artics 38 t., road trains 40 t.); consideration of problems caused by the increasing density of road haulage using the Brenner Pass and by bottlenecks at the Italian frontier; a proposal urging abolition of documents for temporary importation of vehicles, and a general improvement of Customs and other border-crossing facilities; including more Customs offices dealing with TiR traffic; and a resolution stressing the urgent need to improve commercial and technical aspects of transnort undertakings, especially one-man businesses, and calling for all road haulage associations to provide courses to educate members in aspects of the industry. The growing importance of international traffic to the British haulier is indicated by the larger participation of the Road Haulage Association in this year's IRU Congress. As well as the immediate past chairman, Mr. D. 0. Good. there will be attending the chairman of the international group (Mr. John Murly) and the secretary-general and executive secretary. The Ministry of Transport will be represented by Mr. D. C. Haslegrove, under-secretary, and M. K. C. Turner and Mr. H. R. Featherstone will represent the T.R.T.A. But the IRU is no mere debating chamber, arid is in fact closely aware of current transport problems. In the past year or so there have been major developments in the TIR system (recently tightened drastically) and very few British hauliers would now think of operating abroad without a TIR carnet. One highly controversial item for discussion at Cannes is a proposal by the International Container Bureau that the TIR Convention should be modified to cover containers which are not carried on goods vehicles throughout the whole course of their transit. This has wide ramifications and some circles think it could be prejudicial to road haulage. Another indication of the R.H.A. being drawn more closely into international haulage is that the C.M.R. consignment note is to be printed and issued to international hauliers who are R.H.A. members. The Government has said it will ratify the Convention.
Rewarded: For their part in foiling an attack on May 15 by masked bandits while carrying over 15,000 in wages from the bank to their depot in Waterden Road, London, E.15, Mr. A. G. Vann and Mr. D. L Mason have been presented with cheques for 1.50 on behalf of the directors of B.R.S. (Parcels) Ltd. A 3-ton van driven by Mr. Vann and a private car driven by Mr. Mason were intercepted by two cars full of men. but Mr. Mason forced one away, Mr. Vann drove at the gang emerging from the other, and both drove at speed into the depot. Staff.travelling in the van as guards have also been rewarded.