Only 54,000 Vehicles for the U.K.
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QFFICIAIL circles were as much surprised and shocked as the road transport industry at the announcement last week-end that Sir Stafford Cripps, Minister for Economic Affairs, proposed to release only 50,000 goods vehicles and 4,000 buses and coaches to the home market next year. Mr. Gresham Cooke, director of the Society of Motor Manufacturers, disputed the figures when approached by "The Commercial Motor."
Government departments were said to be unaware that any change had been made in the agreement reached last summer whereby commercial-vehicle manufacturers would export 40 per cent. of their production, instead of 331 per cent. The Economic Information Bureau told "Ti' Commercial Motor" that it hal no authority to give any information on the subject.
Sir Stafford's decision, if carried out, will place crushing stress on Britain's overworked road transport system, hinder economic recovery, and endanger public safety. It requires that at least 60 per cent, of commercial-vehicle production shall be exported.
Last year, British manufacturers produced 130,967 goods vehicles and 9,616 buses and coachcs, of which 85,940 and 6,430 respectively were taken into use in the United Kingdom. Even then, the supply fell far short of the demand. The situation now created is doubly serious.
Of 86,407 goods and 7,654 passenger vehicles built in the first eight months of this year, 60,171 and 5.246 respectively were for home duty. Therefore, during the whole of 1948 British operators will have to content themselves with fewer deliveries than they received in eight months this year.
• It was reported on Tuesday that a statement was to be issued to clarify the position regarding private car production for the home market.
Scarcely less important' isSir Stafford's A22 drastic retrenchment in the matter of road works. The Severn Bridge and Dartford tunnel schemes have been shelved, and road maintenance is to be reduced to a level that will enable 20,000 men to be diverted to other work.
"Having regard to the importance of road improvement to efficient transport, and therefore to industrial production generally and to exports, any abandonment of major objectives must'be considered as against the immediate, as well as the future, public interest," states the British Road Federation.
The B.R.F. makes the following proposals to the Government:—All preliminary work on major road development should be continued. The acquisition of land should go on and work on site preparation should be maintained. All road improvements should be pressed ahead where they aid road safety.
Minor road improvements, relatively inexpensive in labour and material, should be undertaken. Every step should be taken to make a better use of the community's present investment in the road system.
All matters connected with research should be continued. The present traffic regulations should be generally examined, with a view to reform.