Test fee rumpus
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THE dramatic increase in the fee for the hgv driving test has met united opposition from the industry.
Both the Freight Transport Association and the Road Haulage Association have expressed concern at the 35 per cent increase. The FTA realises that the Department of Transport is not immune to inflation, "but believes that a regular review of fees is preferable to irregular imposition of a substantial increase." The increase is "excessive", even more so when compared against the movement of the Retail iPrice Index between June 1980 and June 1982 at 22 per The falling number of hgv test I applications has obviously caused problems to the Departmerit, but such a sharp increase will not help this situation. "Furthermore as your costings allow for inflation over the coming 'months we cannot see any just fication for a contingency element of five per cent," the ETA said.
' o our mind, an increase to abo t £54 might be acceptable and would be much more consistent with price increases experienced in other areas."
The FTA asked for hgv driving licences to be issued for life, on the same basis as ordinary driving icences. The RHA pointed out that hauliers also have fixed overheads, like the DTp, and that they do not receive rate increases to cover falls in demands for their services.
"They have to continue to provide a high standard of service to their customers while restructuring their organisational arrangements to match reduced demand."
And in the worst recession hauliers have ever experienced they have to justify every rate increase they make to their customers, the RHA pointed out.
The RHA called for the fee to be raised by an amount within the eight to 16 per cent range to keep up with the API. "This would demonstrate to the industry that the Government was playing its part in the battle against inflation, help maintain demand for tests and assist hauliers to continue in young driver training programmes during a period of very high unemployment for young people."