)over freight drive
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OVER docks is now handling traffic creasing at around 25 per cent a year, C'ONFIRMATION from Transport Minster William Rodgers that the 'running-in" period on EEC Regulation 43/69 on the 450km daily distance limit s to be extended to the end of 1978 has ieen welcomed by the Road Haulage kssociation.
The 12-month period was confirmed, iccording to a senior member of the MA, at a meeting the Association had recently with Mr Rodgers.
Despite this "concession", the Association says it is still not satisfied with the outcome of the meeting.
National vice-chairman of the RHA, Ken Rogers said: "Despite this concession . . . the Minister is unable to change the position regarding daily distance limitations unilaterally.
"It requires the agreement of all the EEC Council of Ministers to change the regulation." said. worth £7 billion a year and the Traffic is the port director of operations Don Soppitt told CM's Calais conference last week. He told hauliers that 88 per cent of the traffic was passing through the freight terminal at the Eastern Docks. It was a very congested area between the cliffs and the sea, handling 450,000 units of freight and 1.2 million cars plus foot passengers, all in 10 acres.
Reclaimed
Drivers of freight vehicles were "extremely important people for the port and they represent the fastest growing sector of the port's expansiOn," he said.
Plans were now underway to provide an extra ten acres of space by reclaiming land from the sea, which would provide berths for the new generation of freight vessels planned by the operators.
This, he said, was all part of the general development plan for the port. Dover was set to become a freight oriented port, he