Plermit probe by MP aver border bribes
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SITERNATIONAL haulage is riddled with corruption claims a aboiir MP. He blames the system by which international road aulage permits are issued.
ly-elected Wolveron MP Dale Campbell claimed this week that rruption centres around g border guards either to permits or to avoid ing them.
claimed thai some cornwhich are getting more ts from the International Freight Office at New than they need are g the authorities to them for more journeys ad actually been done. other hauliers who are of permits are asking r guards not to stamp the t so that it can be re Ne am ave ie c ribi tam .am He anie
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Mr Campbell-Savers said kat e had spent part of the im er recess fact-finding in le c b of a lorry in Europe — it h says that he has known th position for three years. No he intends to "blow the 1 o ' the whole question of le ii egal use of permits, starrig ith a letter to Transport Elm ter Norman Fowler to ;It for a meeting to discuss le question.
An he has warned that in le a sence of a "very strong ass rance" that the Italian ith rides in particular will be irb d in this practice in the ..ar future Mr Campbellwets says he will use the floor of the House of Commons to press for action.
But this week Road Haulage Association international expert Bob Duffy told CM that Mr Campbell-Savers was attacking the wrong country. He said that the problem lay in permits for Germany and France and not in the Italian permits at all.
He added that it was difficult to know what sort of corruption was going on but he said that the IRFO must have some flexibility over the issue of permits to account for fluctuations in traffic. Mr Duffy said that most of the instances of corruption cited by Mr Campbell-Savers were not worthwhile practising.
"But of course I have not stood on the borders and watched," he said.
Mr Campbell-Savers said that there were queues at various border posts of drivers waiting to bribe border guards. Mr Duffy commented that the RHA had long been in favour of the complete abolition of permits and quotas — but he added that this was up to the governments involved and could not be done in this country or by the EEC.